It’s old news but it’s definitely worth sharing.
New dawn as Kenya volleyball girls receive Sh14m annually (USD$135,000) from National Oil Company
Team gets new name, ‘Malkia Strikers’ as a thrilled Cabinet Secretary Dr Wario says; ‘These girls as so successful… and they are so beautiful; it seems this is the trend, even our athletes [track] are very beautiful nowadays’
THE successful Kenya women’s volleyball finally received some decent money to boost its programmes when the National Oil Company an annual Sh14 million for three years.
The team, multi-Africa champions and regulars at the World Championship and the Olympic Games will wear the National Oil Company [NOC] colours and go by the new name given by their sponsors, Malkia Strikers.
Resilience
“Malkia [Kiswahili/Arabic] for the ‘reigning Queen’ is most appropriate’ said National Oil Chief Executive Officer Sumayya Athmani, “it is befitting of this team that has shown success and resilience,” she added.
Sumayya and Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Sport, Culture and Arts, Dr Hassan Wario, said it was unbelievable that such as successful sports team in the country had gone so many years without sponsorship.
Backing
“This is one of the top 10 teams in the whole world, why no corporate had ever given it financial backing is perplexing,” said Dr Wario adding:
“These girls as so successful… and they are so beautiful; it seems this is the trend, even our athletes [track] are very beautiful nowadays.”
The Kenya women’s volleyball team are virtually the undisputed queens in Africa and recently they were admitted to the World Grand Prix in which they will be returning next season.
Decision
But theirs has always been a struggle to keep up with the top-flight despite the Kenya Volleyball Federation’s lack of money and many other requirements.
When National Oil announced on Wednesday morning that they will be providing money and kit to the team their rallying to the team was that the partnership was “A winning start with Sport.”
Upbeat
Sumayya said: “When National Oil wished to partner with a sports team, we did a background search and settling for the Kenya National Women’s team was a deliberate decision informed by the caliber of the team.
“We are surprised that no corporate had done this earlier but maybe it was so that we would rise to the occasion.”
An upbeat Dr Wario said: “Like Chinua Achebe wrote about a man who like using big words [often meaningless], this is a ‘moment epoch’!
Important
“It’s a big occasion for a deserving team, a very important team.”
Dr Wario added: “After three years you will reap the fruits of investment. This team will go places. And thanks Sumayya, keep renewing this contract until we retire!”
Members of the team were present at the breakfast meeting also attended by leading officials of other Kenyan sporting associations and directors of National Oil, including chairman, Peter Munga.
In case you didn’t know, Kenya made history by winning the FIVB Grand Prix Group 3 versus Peru.
When they returned home, they received a cash reward of Sh1.5 million (USD$14,500) from Deputy President William Ruto.
Kenya has been promoted and will play in Group 2 of the 2016 FIVB Grand Prix.
Kenya and African volleyball teams may have not achieved a lot in international women’s volleyball BUT they are the home teams of some of the world’s most hardworking volleyball athletes.
Funding is so limited and training facilities but they all continue to make their VB DREAMS come true. We’re just so happy for Kenya
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(images: FIVB)