The magnificent sandy white beaches of Kenya have certainly not helped their beach volleyball teams.

Landlocked Rwanda topped the women and men’s Africa Zone Five Championships that served as qualifiers for the 2015 All Africa Games. Rwanda has held the Zone Five title since 2010.

Rwandan men’s duo Olivier Ntagengwa and Flavien Ndamukunda were crowned Zone V champions in April in Dar es Salaam after beating Burundi 2-0 (21-11, 21-18) in the final. They qualified for the All Africa Games to be held from September 4 to 19 in Congo Brazzaville. Burundi, Kenya and Egypt have also qualified.

Kenya’s Sila Makiso and Ibrahim Oduori made the All Africa Games cut after trouncing Egypt 2-0 (22-20, 21-17) in the play-off for the third place. In the semis, Kenya lost 1-2 (14-21, 21-11, 12-15) to rivals Rwanda; in the second semi, Burundi trounced Egypt 2-1 (21-12, 19-21, 15-12).

Rwanda’s Charlotte Nxayisenga and Denyse Mutatsiponda won the round-robin championships, held from May 8 to 10 on Mombasa, on better aggregate. Kenya finished second, followed Egypt and Uganda; all qualified for the All Africa Games.

Rwanda, Kenya and Egypt had tied on points after they each lost one match. Although Kenya beat Rwanda 2-0, the Rwandan side edged out Egypt 2-0. Egypt then beat Kenya 2-1.  Egypt’s Nosseir Mohammed and Elfayed Taufiq clinched the deciding third set 15-11 after having split the opening two.

In Rwanda, the game took root in 2011. Their girls’ junior team won the Africa title in 2013; it is the same team that won the Africa Zone Five championship in Mombasa. 

Rwanda also took a team to the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, and participated in both junior and youth world championship in Cyprus and Poland last year.

Their men’s team has won the Africa Zone Five Championships since 2010.

Rwanda national coach Paul Bitok, who is a former Kenyan international, said the teams get a lot of support from the government. “When a national team is named for any championship, it ceases to be a local federation issue. The government immediately takes over,” he said.

“The junior programmes starting from age 14 to 23 are vibrant,” he added.

Players are given incentives in terms of training allowances, mission fees and match bonuses. “Players are exposed to indoor and outdoor matches to prepare for events,” said Bitok. “Gym sessions are also vital.”

It will be the second time Kenya takes part in the women’s beach volleyball at the All Africa Games.

At the 2011 Games, Dorcas Nandasaba and Margaret Indakala won bronze in the women’s event. They had also won the Zone Five event. Kenya’s men’s team was knocked out at the quarters.

After the bronze medal exploits at the 2011 All Africa games, Ndasaba and Ndakala won the slot for the World Championships.

Uganda Beach Volleyball chairman Mofaht Masava said the country was the first to embrace beach volleyball, before Kenya. They started playing the sport just after it was introduced at the 1996 Olympic Games.

Uganda has taken men’s and women’s teams for the 2011 All Africa games, Continental Cup and World Cup qualifiers. The women’s team was among the few teams that started an exhibition match at the 2012 London Olympics at the Buckingham Palace.

“We started the awareness programmes in 1996, and within three years we had started a national circuit,” said Masava. “We focused on urban areas in Entebbe and Kampala with indoor players.”

Masava said they have now embarked on a 10-year strategic plan for players to specialise in beach volleyball. “The team we took to Mombasa for the women’s event was our Under-19 team last year,” said Masava, who said they roll out a secondary school beach volleyball programme next year.

“We want them to embrace the game so as to break away from indoor volleyballers taking on beach volleyball.”

Kenya women’s beach volleyball coach Sammy Mulinge said Kenya has a lot to learn from Rwanda, especially the government’s support and youth structures.

Mulinge said beach volleyball needs the right facilities since the game is very demanding. “They need lengthy training and motivation in terms of finances,” said Mulinge. “For the first time we were able to camp for one week before the event in Mombasa.”

Although Kenya has good plans in place, implementation is a problem, said Mulinge. “Our teams need to participate in championships,” said Mulinge. He said the Under-19 team qualified in Uganda for the 2014 World Championships in Portugal, but couldn’t go because of lack of finances.

“Most of those who were in the Under-19 are no longer playing; they got demoralised,” said Mulinge.