National men's beach volleyball coach Patrick Owino has exuded confidence that his charges are ready to rub shoulders with the best teams in the African Olympic qualifiers slated for June 21 to June 28 in Morocco.
The eight players — four men and four women — were named on Tuesday ahead of their departure on June 18.
Owino said all the teams in the competition have an equal chance.
He is pinning his hopes on improved youngsters Brian Kelly and Enock Mogeni to go all the way in the tournament.
"In beach volleyball, there's a level playing field with an equal chance for all teams. You cannot quite tell about your opponents but it all depends on the preparations. Even without friendly matches, we are going to have a good tournament based on the last few weeks of training and the morale of the players," he said.
"Mogeni and Melly have taken their game to another level and look much improved. It's been a while since they competed but I am sure they will not disappoint," Owino added.
The teams have been in residential training camp for over two weeks in readiness for the crucial qualifying tournament and are upbeat about their chances of making it to the global show for the first time.
The men's team impressed at the Nyerere Cup in Dar-es-salaam two weeks ago with Kenyan pair of Ibrahim Oduor and James Mwaniki the outright winners.
The Moroccan Volleyball Federation has promised a secure bubble conforming to all Covid-19 guidelines.
24 men teams and 17 women teams are expected for the championships.
Team
Women: Brackcides Agala, Gaudencia Makokha, Yvonne Wavinya, Phosca Kasisi
Men: Ibrahim Oduor, James Mwaniki, Brian Melly, Enock Mogeni
