Year in Review: Malkia Strikers remain unable to solve World Championships puzzle

After years of constant heartbreak on the world stage, Malkia Strikers hoped they would finally achieve second round at the 2022 World Championships but flattered to deceive, yet again.

There had been great expectation the national women’s team would hold their own against the world’s best after weeks at a high-level camp in Brazil where they spent for over two months.

The high-performance training program funded by the world volleyball governing body FIVB was meant to elevate the Kenyans’ standards before they flew to the Netherlands for the world championship which ran from September 24 to October 15.

But as the showpiece served off, Malkia Strikers were reduced to guests at a rich man’s party as the nine-time African champions crashed out in the group stages following losses to Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Puerto Rico. The only win came against their continental rivals Cameroon.

They needed just two wins to make history as the first African team to advance to the second round of the quadrennial championship.

Despite the run-of-the-mill performance, head coach Paul Bitok, who was then handling the team alongside four Brazilian coaches, said he picked more positives from the championship and the training program noting it would serve as a springboard ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

“Although the second round was achievable because we were running close to our opponents, again we shouldn’t imagine that the Brazil camp was not helpful. Our opponents are exposed to such high-end training facilities year in year out.

“I’m optimistic that the seeds of the two-month training camp we had in Brazil will sprout to bear sweet fruits in the next few years but only if the team continues to get such an exposure. It shouldn’t be a one-off thing,” noted Bitok, who led the team to their first Olympics in 16 years.

Malkia Strikers’ Netherlands biggest breakout stars

Veronica Adhiambo

Perhaps some of the positives Bitok was speaking about were the Malkia Strikers’ breakout stars in the championship.

A young, dynamic and relatively unknown left attacker Veronica Adhiambo, who was pulling on the national team’s shirt for the first time, was one of the leading lights for Malkia Strikers in the Netherlands finishing with 50 points behind top scorer Sharon Chepchumba who accumulated 66 points.

As Adhiambo was bursting into the volleyball stage, the world was taking notes and just a week after the championship concluded, the 21-year-old former Nyakach High School student was poached from Kenya Pipeline by a Turkish Ligi 1 side Tarus Belediyespor on a one-year contract.

She was in a class of her own in Kenya’s 3 -1 (20-25, 25-27, 19-25) win over Cameroon, netting an impressive 12 points helping Malkia Strikers to pick their only win of the tournament.

In Malkia Strikers final group match, Veronica was also breathtaking, bagging 22 points in an encounter which the Kenyan queens lost 3-1 (15-25, 25-19, 18-25, 20-25).

Veronica also had an impressive campaign at the 2022 African Women's Volleyball Club Championships that was held in Tunisia in April, helping Kenya Pipeline to register a third-place finish.

As a result of her brilliant displays, she was named the championship's best left attacker.

“Determination and hardwork was the secret behind the success of the young players who made their debut at the global showpiece.

“It takes a lot of discipline, focus, self-sacrifice, hardwork and determination to realise your dream. My patience finally paid off with inclusion in the national team,” she said then.

Emmaculate Nekesa

A mention must also be given to another debutant, setter Emmaculate Nekesa, who was mightily impressive too in the tournament – and some overseas clubs may well be fetching offers for the KCB youngster in the coming months.

Nekesa, who has established herself as the heir to former Malkia Strikers stars Jane Wacu and Janet Wanja, had a jaw dropping display in the championship and is tipped to cement her position in the squad ahead of the Paris Olympics qualifiers and African Games next year.

“I gained a lot of experience. I feel I am on top of the game and full of confidence. My accuracy coupled with excellent service and blocks have improved tremendously for the months we have been in camp and at the competition,” Nekesa said.

Sharon Chepchumba

Outside Hitter Sharon Chepchumba was already an established star before this year’s World Championships but her super heroic performance in the Netherlands got her a transfer to the big time, and it came immediately after Malkia Strikers crashed out and she had to link up with the new club Aris Hessaloniki volleyball club, a Greece third tier side.

Chumba, as popularly known in the volleyball circles, is an aggressive and hard-hitting attacker, while also elegant on the ball with a crisp hitting game and

Despite Malkia Strikers run ending at the preliminary stage, the former Kwanthanze Secondary School player finished the tournament with a high 66 points and she was also named the Most Valuable Player in the African Women’s Volleyball Clubs Championship held in Kelibia, Tunisia in May.

Chepchumba played a key role in helping the Bankers lift the championship title for the first time in 16 years where she racked up 56 points in the final with a whopping 66 attacks.

She played a key role in dismantling opponents' defense line on the nets throughout the tournament and has proved to be one of Kenya's finest stars.