Kenya’s Malkia Strikers on the rise with three players signed with European clubs

In 2021, the Kenya women’s national volleyball team (the Malkia Strikers) was selected to take part in a pilot project of the FIVB’s revolutionary programme of Volleyball Empowerment which aims to empower national teams and athletes worldwide.

As part of the project, the team held a three-month high performance training camp in Sao Paulo, Brazil under an experienced technical bench led by celebrated Brazilian youth coach Luizomar de Moura.

The Volleyball Empowerment pilot project was showcased at the 38th FIVB World Congress

With the project barely two years old, the impact is already being felt in Kenya after three players of the Malkia Strikers turned professional following a successful FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship campaign in the Netherlands last September.

Kenya finished 19th out of 24 countries at the World Championship where they stunned eternal rivals Cameroon 3-0 in their pool. The impact of the Volleyball Empowerment programme was clear as Kenya registered decent performances against reigning Volleyball Nations League (VNL) champions Italy, Puerto Rico, the Netherlands and Belgium.

Kenya celebrates their win against Cameroon at the World Championship

Trio turns pro

Star opposite Sharon Chepchumba joined Greek side Aris Thessanoliki in October while outside hitter Veronica Adhiambo signed with Turkish second tier side Tarsus Belediyespor the same month. Assistant captain Noel Murambi became Kenya’s latest export when she sealed a move to Cyprus Division A side Lemesos.

“I’ve always wanted to play professional volleyball so this is a dream come true. Previously, I’ve had opportunities to play professionally but I couldn’t due to various reasons,” said Murambi.

“A few days before I travelled, I sprained my ankle in training and it became swollen. However, once the swelling reduced, I was able to resume training quickly. These are some of the benefits of the programme we had in Brazil, specifically strength training which has helped us avoid major injuries and manage them well when they occur. If this was in the past, I would have been ruled out for months.”

Assistant captain Noel Murambi at the World Championship

Role model

“In a week, we have two matches and this is what the many friendly matches we played in Brazil prepared us for. Playing against former Brazil national team players also helped build my confidence and that’s why I’ve managed to walk straight into the first team here,” Adhiambo commented.

Chepchumba, Kenya’s top scorer at the World Championship, stated that the Volleyball Empowerment programme has changed her mentality and made her understand volleyball on a wider level.

“In the past, I used to think that natural power is enough to play volleyball, but when I went to Brazil and saw more talented players working hard in the gym to build their strength, it was a wake-up call. My game has improved tremendously since I embraced it and the results are there to see.

“Turning professional has also helped me understand that volleyball is big business off the court. I’ve begun to package myself as a role model and brand in order to encourage future generation and get endorsements from big companies in future,” said Chepchumba.

Star opposite Sharon Chepchumba in action at Tokyo 2020

Paradigm shift

Paul Bitok, who has coached Malkia Strikers since 2019, said that Volleyball Empowerment has already brought a paradigm shift in Kenyan volleyball, adding that a sharper focus on the youth would yield even better results.

“By interacting with top players in Brazil, our players have realized they can change their lives through volleyball. Some of them have turned professional and this will motivate the future generation to work harder.

“The programme is a good idea and if we can have it replicated at youth level from age 18 to 23 then this will change Kenyan volleyball completely. If this group can get similar training and facilities like we had in Brazil, this will be a game changer,” observed Bitok.

FIVB Volleyball Empowerment Commission Chair Vladimir Grbic said the pilot project in Kenya was the perfect example for the Volleyball Family and tipped the Malkia Strikers to become a force in future global competitions.

“The Kenya women’s team has improved tremendously and it is a good example of how we can develop the performance of national teams not only in Africa but the whole world,” noted Grbic.

“For the next phase, we need support of local coaches to select young players who can make difference in Kenyan volleyball. We want to ensure that the base is solid and this will call for support from Olympic Committee, Ministry of Sports and schools,” added the Sydney 2000 Olympic champion.