Coming in an Olympics year, the decision by the Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) to opt out of Sh88 million technical support programme from the Fdration Internationale de Volleyball, commonly known by the acronym FIVB, has sent a shockwaves in the local sports fraternity.
The FIVB Volleyball Empowerment was a part of FIVB President Dr Ary Graas Nucleus plan, to mark a new era of volleyball development around the world.
The Sh88 million International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) Volleyball Empowerment Programme was meant to sharpen Kenyas national teams, especially the Africa champions, Malkia Strikers, ahead of major global competitions. Next in line for the national womens team is the Olympic Games tournament in Paris from July 26 to August 11.
The FIVB Volleyball Empowerment Programme was a part of FIVB President Ary Gracas Nucleus Plan aimed at marking a new era of volleyball development around the world. It was meant to empower and improve the technical level of national teams and athletes in order to provide them with the skills to play at the highest level, reach their full potential and achieve their goals.
The FIVB had seconded six coaches to Malkia Strikers as part of targeted support to improve performance and change global perception of African womens volleyball on the global stage. Through the programme, the FIVB had invested close to 600,000 Swiss Francs (Sh88 million) in Malkia Strikers since its preparations for the delayed Tokyo Olympic Games. The six coaches assigned to the national womens team were Luizomar de Moura (head coach), Jefferson Arosti (assistant coach), Marcelo De Souza (strength and conditioning coach), Leonard Barbos (statistician), Thiago Lessa Moreira (physiotherapist) and Roberto Opice Neto (team manager). The six coaches, together with KVF Deputy President Paul Bitok (then an assistant coach), were in charge as Malkia Strikers competed in the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Challenger Cup (France), 2022 FIVB World Championship (Netherlands), 2023 Africa Nations Championship (Cameroon) and the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
But early this year, KVF demanded equal representation on the technical bench during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, pushing for at least three local coaches to work alongside three Brazilian coaches. As part of the FIVB programme, Malkia Strikers would also have camped in Finland for a month-long residential training in preparation for the Paris Olympics.
FIVB, however, stood its ground, offering two positions for local coaches, a proposal that was rejected by KVFs National Executive Committee. KVF thus failed to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to continue the partnership and FIVB, in a statement published on their website on April 25, chose to respect their decision.
The bungled technical assistance programme was conceived in 2020, and started in 2021 just before the delayed 2020 Olympics. Egypts mens volleyball team joined the programme last year.
FIVB picked Egypt and Kenya for the two-year renewable contract as the two nations had made tremendous improvement in performance. In 2019 when the late Waithaka Kioni approached FIVB in his capacity as KVF President to discuss the programme, the world body asked him to choose between a technical empowerment programme, and support through provision equipment (balls and nets). Kioni settled for the former and negotiated for two Kenyan coaches to understudy the Brazilians. Paul Bitok, then head coach, and assistant coach Josp Barasa accompanied the team to Tokyo.
The technical package entailed payment of player allowances, facilitation of international training camps, payment of FIVB coaches and two Kenyan coaches, and payment of accommodation and travel costs for the playing unit and coaches.
We can always get equipment but just look at what the technical approach has on offer. Who wouldnt have picked the offer? when Kioni took the offer, I think that was the end of Malkia Strikers struggles in getting exposure, allowances, among other shortcomings that the team had previously faced, a source who preferred anonymity for fear of victimisation told Nation Sport.
So Sh88 million disbursement by FIVB was done in phases, but no money hit KVFs account to the best of my knowledge. FIVB had the offer for two Kenyan coaches to be part of the technical bench, something that Kioni agreed to. That was a fair deal. Its unfortunate that KVF has discontinued the programme. They would have let the programme to run, and renegotiate it for better representation. The FIVB was ready and willing to renew that deal that might have extended to the mens team, the source added.
The source intimated that FIVB m
