Organisers preping for huge turnout in Makueni beach volleyball leg

Coach Sammy Mulinge, the women's national beach volleyball head coach who also serves in the beach volleyball commission is urging teams to register their pairs early ahead of the Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) beach circuit set for 11 and 12 December in Makueni County. 

For the first time, KVF is running an FIVB homologated national tour. The global governing body has already sanctioned four events scheduled for the first half of the 2021/22 season set to run until April next year. 

The opening leg of an anticipated eight-event national beach volleyball tour was held on 23 and 24 October 2021 at Mbita Tourist Beach Hotel in Homabay County paving way for the second leg in Makueni. Mombasa and Nairobi Counties are set to host the other two legs before KVF requests to have their second half of their season sanctioned for homologation. 

"Registration for Makueni is open and while we will only close on 10 December so we can come up with the draws, it is important that teams register their players early so we can enter them in the FIVB portal. With the circuit now homologated, no players can be allowed to play if they are not registered with FIVB. 

The season-opening leg attracted 15 teams, 11 in the men's league and four for the women. We are expecting a bigger turnout for the second leg so as the organiser we are readying up for that. Having more teams is good for our beach volleyball that is gaining traction in the country," said Mulinge.

In Homabay, General Service Unit (GSU) duo of Brian Melly and Naftali Chumba won the men's category beating the pair of Kenya Defence Forces' (KDF) Sila Makiso and Edward Kibet 2-0 (21-8, 21-16). 

Melly and Chumba reached the final after defeating Nicholas Lagat and Noah Bett 2-0 (21-7, 21-13) in a semifinal. Makiso and Kibet had to dig deep for a 2-1 (19-21, 22-20, 15-8) victory against James Muliro and Allan Kimurgor in the semifinal.

Meawhile Gladys Wangui and Phosca Kasisi emerged victorious in the women's category played in a round-robin format. The second position went to Maureen Wekesa and Mercy Imenza.The pair of Marion Indeche and Joan Barasa, and that of Lilian Adoyo and Jane Agaya came in the third and fourth places respectively.