How 2016 Olympics heartbreak is fuelling Agripina Kundu in Yaounde

“But the reality was that it was over. I only accepted it when we boarded the plane back home,” Malkia Strikers libero Agripina Kundu vividly recollects the 2016 heartbreak here at the Palais Polyvalent des Sports (Paposy) Arena in Yaounde, Cameroon.

It was February 15, 2016, that fateful Monday when Kenya lost 3-2 to Egypt in the African qualifiers of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Malkia Strikers had beaten hosts Cameroon 3-1 in the preliminary round to proceed to the semis as Group 'A' winners. They were tipped as favourites to win the tournament and head to Rio as Africa’s representatives.

However, that semi-final loss not only saw them eliminated but handed Cameroon a lifeline after the hosts beat Egypt 3-2 in the final to qualify for the Olympic Games for the first time in history.

“It was so painful to lose to Egypt, especially after we beat Cameroon in the group. Everybody knew Kenya was going to win the tournament but Egypt denied us the opportunity,” she says.

Now 30, Kundu is one of the most experienced players in the Malkia Strikers set-up who coach Luizomar de Moura relies on for leadership on court. This is in addition to her primary role of reception and floor defence which she performs with unrivalled commitment and dedication.

“It’s a unique position because not everybody can play it. I’m happy that our accuracy in reception has been improving in every game which gives the team an opportunity to play in system all the time,” said Kundu.

The vastly experienced Kundu has played against Egyptian opposition both at club and national team level.

She conceded that their tactical approach and technical ability makes them tricky opponents.

“They have played volleyball from a young age so they have all the basic skills of the game which makes them a tough team to beat. We have to be very tactical in our approach and most importantly stick to our game plan as advised by our coaches. It has worked for us until now so why change in the final,” advised Kundu.

Both teams have reached the final unbeaten, Egypt finishing top of Pool A, beating Uganda 3-0 in the quarter-finals and Rwanda with a similar margin in the semi-finals on Wednesday.

Kenya, on the other hand, claimed top position in Pool ‘B’, then beat Nigeria 3-0 in the quarters and gave Cameroon a 3-1 hiding in the semis to silence the home crowd.

Read: Malkia Strikers rout Cameroon to close in on Paris Olympics ticket

Kundu notes that Egypt’s record in this tournament shows they deserve to play in the final just like Kenya and therefore cannot be underrated.  

“They are unbeaten therefore we cannot afford to underrate them. In 2016, we lost concentration in some crucial moments and before we knew it the game was over. We had a good team in 2016 and this one is equally good so we will do our best to bring the trophy back home. Everybody in the team is focused and morale is high,” said Kundu.

Kundu’s second appearance at Paposy Arena also ended in pain when they lost 3-0 to Cameroon in the final of the 2017 African Nations Championship. Despite having won the 2020 African qualifiers for the delayed Tokyo Olympic Games at Paposy, she says memories of the 2016 heartbreak still lingers whenever she steps into this arena.

“Anytime we come to play here, I keep remembering what happened in 2016 because that would have been my first Olympics after just breaking into the first team. We now have an opportunity to play Egypt and beat them, I think this is the only way to erase the 2016 memories,” asserted Kundu.  

Victory in the final will certainly mean a 10th African title for Malkia Strikers and confirm Kenya’s status as the top ranked nation in the continent -- a sure route to the Paris Olympics.

And of course, the little matter of giving Kundu a better memory of Paposy.