Tarus turning GSU into a volleyball powerhouse

Gideon Tarus' name is now synonymous with excellence on Kenya's volleyball scene.

Tarus is the current General Service Unit (GSU) coach as well as the tactician of the national men's volleyball team coach; Wafalme.

The tactician is an old hand at GSU, having been part of the team that won the Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) national league back in 2001. He went on to lift the title seven times as a player before joining the technical bench.

His coaching career took off in 2010 when he was appointed an assistant coach to Moses Epoloto. It wasn't long before Tarus faced his first real test after being appointed GSU head coach.

In 2021, he was named the Wafalme head coach. He was tasked with preparing the team for the Africa Nations Championship in Rwanda. With less than 10 days of preparations for the bi-annual event, it was surprising to see the team pull off a historic win in the continental showpiece against Egypt.

He has led the team on various occasions including the Africa Men's Nations Cup played in Egypt from September 1-15, 2023.

GSU's success is down to the tactician who single-handedly assumed the responsibility and elevated the team to another level.

Speaking to Mozzart Sport, Tarus described his stay with GSU as incredible, noting that their go-getting spirit motivate him to achieve more as a coach. Their fighting spirit was evident during the Eldoret City Volleyball tournament played in Eldoret from December 2-3. GSU outclassed Kenya Prisons three sets without response (25:20, 25:21, 25:20) in the physically brutal final match.

"When they say they are going to win a trophy, they will win. It will be visible even by the way they work out. They are very disciplined and they are go-getters," Tarus praised.

Looking back at his history with the team, Tarus was glad that he has achieved commendable feats with them, including a seven-year KVF men's national league dominance. The keen-to-detail tactician has won seven titles (2012, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022) with the paramilitary team.

GSU failed to defend their Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) National Men's League this year after losing to spirited Kenya Prisons. Their triumph ended GSU’s seven-year dominance as the Prisons toasted to their first league glory since 2016 after ending the round-robin playoffs on eight points.

The tactician blamed the loss on technical issues but noted that the team is now set to reclaim their title.

"My team has improved so much. Initially, we were struggling to win, but now everything has seamlessly gelled and we no longer struggle. Last year, we had some technical issues but the team is okay. Our playing style has been different and we are playing smoothly," he told Mozzart Sport.

Tarus further noted that the team was adapting to a new playing technique, and he urged fans to be on the lookout for more triumphs from the GSU. He was optimistic that he would tap into talent from the next recruitment, insisting on the need to build a wider player pool.

"I am recruiting tall players. I have requested for taller players in the next recruitment through my boss. We have also requested to have a gym that we will be training in as a team from the start to the end of the season. I see GSU being a different club. We are employing new techniques and the future of GSU is so bright," he pointed out.

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Part of making history with the team included exposing them to international competitions. Tarus was concerned that his players lacked exposure to high-intensity matches. For instance, this year, the team pulled out of the African Club Championships that were slated from March 8-21 in Tunis, Tunisia, citing financial constraints.

He also noted that various challenges including the lack of an indoor arena further hindered their training, and eventually their performance. With the Africa Club Championships set to take place in 2024, Tarus was hopeful that they would attract financiers to lend a hand. He also foresees a day when GSU will compete in international friendlies to improve their level of playing.

In the event they honor the 2024 Africa Club Championships, the gaffer vowed to lead the team to make history. He has the KVF national league title and the East African title under his belt and will be hoping to decorate it with the African title as well.

"We have various challenges like the training field. We are hopeful that we will get a playing ground soon. We are also hoping to attend the Africa Club Championships, so if we get sponsors willing to help us and sponsor some friendlies and competitions outside Kenya, it will be great," he offered.

Reflecting on the growth of volleyball in the country so far, the tactician pointed out that Kenya has made remarkable steps, but he insisted on the need for indoor training facilities to be at par with developed countries.

"The main problem we face in Kenya is the lack of indoor training facilities. We train outdoors and we go compete indoors. Back then, we used to have shorter players and they would help us, but compared to the rest of Africa, volleyball players are generally tall. Kenya has also improved on the basics and is on the right trajectory," he concluded.

The team has produced several talents for the national team including Brian Melly, Simion Kipkorir, Shadrack Misisko, Cornelius Kiplagat, and Naftali Chumba among others.