Kasisi, Wavinya axed as Kenya names squad for Commonwealth qualifiers

The pair of Phosca Kasisi and Yvonne Wavinya are the surprise exclusion from the final women’s beach volleyball team for the African Commonwealth Games qualifiers set for next week in Accra, Ghana.

Wavinya and Kasisi were part of the team that qualified for the Olympic Games in Japan during the qualifiers in Morocco last year alongside Gaudencia Makokha and Brackcides Agala.

Kenya Pipeline pair of fast-rising Veronica Adhiambo and Naomi Too have been drafted into the team for the March 24-29 qualifiers.

Too, Adhiambo, Agala and Makokha will represent the country in the women’s category while new comer and General Service Unit setter Nicholas Langat will partner with Donald Mchete in the men’s team.

Experienced duo of Ibrahim Oduori and James Mwaniki also made the cut.

The much-improved pair of Elphas Makuto and Jairus Jepkosgei, who both plays for Kenya Prisons, have also been left out.

The women’s team coach Salome Wanjala acknowledged that the naming of the final squad was tough.

“We have been training for the last two weeks and we exhausted all the factors as we named the squad. We will wrap up the training on Friday evening and travel to Nairobi ahead of our scheduled travel to Ghana on Sunday,” said Wanjala.

“We are happy we will have time to acclimatise in the host nation and we want to thank the federation and the government for the timely support. The competition will be tough but we hope to book the sole ticket to Birmingham,” she added.

Oduori is the overall teams captain and will be deputised by Too who makes a return to the squad after she last played for national team in 2019 during the Africa Games in Morocco.

Too, who then was paired with Makokha, won silver medal.

South Africa, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Nigeria, Gambia and the hosts are among the teams that will compete in the event.

Others are Zambia, Mauritius ,Seychelles, Rwanda, Mozambique and Botswana.

Only the top nation in each gender will qualify for the Games.

The teams have been training at the Azul Margerita Hotel in Mombasa.

Meanwhile, the Charles Nyaberi Open tournament heads to Nyeri this weekend at the Ruring'u Stadium.

Nyaberi, who is the Kenya Volleyball Federation vice president, is seeking to succeed Waithaka Kioni as president in the forthcoming elections.

Last weekend, Nyaberi staged another event at the Changamwe grounds in Mombasa.

Final beach volleyball team list

Men

Nicholas Lagat, Donald Mchete, Ibrahim Odour and James Mwaniki

Women
Veronica Adhiambo, Naomi Too, Brackcides Agala and Gaudencia Makokha

Coaches

Patrick Owino - Men

Salome Wanjala - Women

Head of Delegation- Ben Juma

Team Manager (men) - Sammy Mulinge

Team Manager (Women) - Mududa Waweru

International Referee - Nzinga Kyalo

Physiotherapist - Sarah Karongo