Kenya’s Deaf women volleyball team has been placed a in a tough pool at the Summer Deaflympic Games set for Tokyo, Japan.
Despite being drawn in a tough pool, the Kenya women’s deaf volleyball team have set an ambitious target of clinching a medal in the quadrennial multi-sport event is scheduled for November 15 to 26.
Women’s volleyball is among the seven disciplines where Kenya will be making a debut at the Deaflympics.
The rest are tennis, table tennis, cycling, swimming, bowling and badminton. Kenya will also compete in athletics, women’s football, men’s handball, golf and women’s basketball.
Kenya were handed a wild card in the women’s volleyball owing to their top position in Africa.
They have been placed in Group “A” alongside giants Italy, the United States of America and the hosts Japan while Group “B” consists Turkey, Ukraine, Brazil and Canada. Kenya’s head coach Alborn Ouma has vowed that his girls will upset the giants, singling out Italy as their main threat.
“We are with Italy, Japan and the USA in the same pool. I know those are the powerhouse of volleyball but we are up to the task and we promise that we are going there not as underdogs but to bring back a medal.
“It is possible, the hearing team (Malkia Strikers) have done it, they have proven by beating Poland. We are in the same shoes and we have to go for the best in Japan,” said Ouma.
“So far Italy is good. I have been following up their play; they are doing well but it is the field that decides. It is not about the name. We are going to the competition knowing that we are also good. Kenya has a name and we have to protect it anywhere we go,” added the coach.
He spoke on the sidelines of the team’s training at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi. The team’s captain Hannah Wambui echoed the coca’s sentiments saying: “The training has been good; we are just aiming for gold so that we can make our country proud,” she said.
Ahead of the residential camp planned for later this month, the team of 29 players have been training twice a week at either Nyayo or at the University of Nairobi. It will be trimmed down to just 14 players.
The players were selected during the trials held last month in Nairobi which attracted eight teams from across the country.
In addition to participating in several tournaments, the team has also been playing against their male counterparts, who feature in the Kenya Volleyball Federation Division Two League.
Simon Adem, the chairman of Kenya Deaf Volleyball Federation expressed delight that finally the country will be competing in the Deaflympics.
“We founded this team in 2013. It has been a long journey but we are happy that finally it will be competing in the Deaflympics,” said Adem.
“The team is good, the improvement in there…We have seen the way our hearing counterparts have been improving and our aim is to be on the same level. We are encouraging our team to make sure that they perform very well in Tokyo. I know that it is not easy but we are aiming to bring home a medal,” he added.