KENYA national women’s volleyball team player Mercy Moim will rejoin her side Kenya Prisons ahead of the women’s Africa Club Championship set for March 25 to April 6 in Cairo, Egypt after the expiry of her six-month contract with club Liiga Ploki last month.
The former left attacker turned right attacker, moved to Europe last September and helped the Finish side, Liiga Ploki, qualify for the play-offs. Moim was recently voted the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the Finnish volleyball league.
The Cheptil Secondary School alumni together with national team booster Jane Wacu and national team captain Praxides Agala, left the club last year.
Agala and Wacu are currently playing for Club Charmalier in France.
Kenya Prisons team manager David Kilundo confirmed the six-month contract the player had with the Finland Premier League side, had run out on February 27 and has been cleared to play for the local side. “We expect her in the country this weekend and we look forward to her rejoining the club again,” he noted.
“We (Kenya Prisons) together with player had a six-month contract with them (Liiga Ploki) and now that the duration has elapsed and technically Moim is our player. We expect her in the country this weekend and will probably start training with team on Monday in preparation for the event,” said Kilundo, who also doubles up as national women’s team manager.
Contrary to the rule that a player ought to have featured for her club three months prior to the club championship, Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) secretary general Evans Wasike, said the player will be eligible to play as long as he or she is cleared by FIVB and has a release letter from her former.
“In this case, Moim will be eligible to feature in the annual event considering her contract with Liiga Ploki ran out last month and she has since been cleared by the club. She is only waiting to be released and cleared by the world governing body FIVB, to play for Kenya Prisons,” noted Wasike.
Meanwhile, Kenya Commercial Bank volleyball team has taken their preparations for the 2015 Africa women’s Club Championships a notch higher.
Coach Vernon Kainga said the girls are in good shape and are responding well to training hence he is confident of posting impressive results in Cairo, Egypt.
“Training is in top gear and the girls are raising up to the occasion. We are determined to end the tournament in the top five positions and our preparations are well on course. The new signings have gelled with the rest of the squad and everything is running smoothly,” said Kainga. The new signings include Praxidise Nekesa, Esther Simiyu and veteran Ednah Rotich, who recently led Kenya beach volleyball team to victory in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.
The Railways Sports Club-based club and 1996 champions have now moved to Safaricom Indoor Arena, Kasarani. They last featured in the continental games in 2011 in Nairobi where they finished in the ninth position. The team of 16 players will be trimmed to the final and traveling squad of 12.
