Atuka returns to Malkia Strikers squad for Olympic qualifiers
The 2023
African clubs best middle blocker Trizah Atuka has been recalled to the
national women’s volleyball team ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations and Nations Challenger Cup both doubling up as qualifiers for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Also
returning to the Malkia Strikers fold are; setter Esther Mutinda of KCB, left
attacker Leonida Kasaya, Kenya Pipeline captain Rose Magoi and DCI left attacker Jemimah Siang'u.
Kenya Pipeline opposite hitter Loise Simiyu, Kenya Prisons’ libero
Delphine Misoki and left attacker Juliana Namutira from KCB have earned their
first call ups.
Atuka has
been absent from the national team since 2019 when she suffered a
career-threatening knee injury which sent her on the sidelines for close to one
year.
But her
return has been fruitful with league’s title and 2023 African Clubs
Championships runners up-finish with Kenya Pipeline her instant success.
Mutinda, who
last featured for the national team in 2021 during the Africa Cup of Nations in
Rwanda, returns after maternity leave and was part of KCB’s squad which
finished fifth in this year’s African Clubs Championships held in Tunisia.
The former
Kwanthanze Secondary School player will jostle for the final two setting
positions alongside her club mate Emmaculate Nekesa, Veronica Kilabat of KDF
and seasoned Rose Magoi, who is also making a comeback to the national team
since 2019.
Pipeline’s
Kasaya, who made her national team debut in 2014 during the FIVB Volleyball
World Grand Prix, and who has mostly played second fiddle to Noel Murambi and
Mercy Moim— both at club and national level returns with 2019 African Games her
last stint with the team.
Ever-green
Sharon Chepchumba, captain Mercy Moim, Aggripina Kundu and Edith Wisa are other
notable players in the 20-woman squad.
The squad is
expected to pitch camp at the Kasarani Indoor Arena next week before it is
trimmed down to 16 players then fly to train in Morocco from June 10 before
departing for the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) Challenger Cup set
for June 25-31 in France.
From there,
the team will pitch camp in Miramas, France courtesy of the National Olympic
Committee of Kenya (NOCK-) before they head to Cameroon for the Cup of Nations
set for August 6-18 in Yaoundé.
“The
selection of the squad was very competitive and I believe we’ve picked the best
of the best for the upcoming international duties. I’m happy we’ve new faces in
the squad who will help the experienced players in the fight for African glory
and an Olympics ticket.
“We’ve many
young players who impressed us in Tunisia and we want to introduce them slowly
and prepare them for the big assignments ahead of us. We will give a chance to
all those who will be selected before we name the final squad for the France
and Cameroon trips,” said coach Bitok.
The top two
teams after the Challenger Cup will be invited to the lucrative Volleyball
Nations League where finalists will get direct tickets for the Olympic Games.
Malkia Strikers can also qualify by winning this year’s Africa Cup of Nations.
MALKIA
STRIKERS SQUAD
1.
Emmaculate Nekesa - KCB
2. Esther
Mutinda-KCB
3. Veronica
Kilabat- KDF
4. Rose
Magoi- Kenya Pipeline
Opposite
attackers
5. Sharon
Chumba - Aris Thessaloniki, Greece
6. Loice
Simiyu - Kenya Pipeline
7. Pamela
Adhiambo- Kenya Pipeline
Left
Attackers
8. Moim
Mercy - KCB
9. Veronica
Adhiambo - Tarsus Belediyespor, Turkey
10. Juliana
Namutira, KCB
11. Leonida
Kasaya - Pipeline
12. Jemimah
Siango - DCI
13. Yvonne
Wavinya – Prisons
Libero
14. Delphine
Misoki- Prisons
15. Agripina
Kundu – Pipeline
Middle
blockers
16. Edith
Wisah - KCB
17. Belinda
Barasa - KCB
18. Lorine
Chebet - Prisons
19. Gladys
Ekaru - Pipeline
20. Trizah
Atuka – Pipeline
Coach-
Luizomar de Moura
Coach- Paul
Bitok
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