Kenya Prisons’ left attacker Meldina Sande has vowed to work her way into coach Japheth Munala’s plans after being named in Malkia Strikers’ 19-member provisional squad ahead of the FIVB Challenger Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
The 27-year-old Mukumu Girls’ High School alumnus last played for the national team during the 2022 FIVB World Championships in the Netherlands. Since then, she has been overlooked for Malkia’s international assignments, failing to make the final squad for the FIVB Challenger Cup, the African Cup of Nations, and the recent African Games. However, Sande is determined to earn her spot this time, having played a crucial role in Kenya Prisons’ second-place finish in the just-concluded KVF Women’s League.
“I’ve been away for a while, but now I’m back and happy to be called again to Malkia Strikers. I’m excited to train again with the national team and want to put in more effort to be called into the final squad,” Sande said. “Donning the national team colours is always an honour for every player. Everybody is training hard to make it to the final squad. For me, I’ll give my best and I’m ready to go again,” she added.
Malkia Strikers commenced their residential training at the Kasarani Stadium Indoor Arena on Monday in preparation for the two international assignments. Sande will compete for four slots in her position against Malkia’s go-to attacker Veronicah Adhiambo, KCB’s duo Juliana Namutira and Mariam Musa, Pipeline’s Leonida Kasaya, and DCI’s Jemimah Siang’u.
Of this pool, only Leonida Kasaya has Olympic experience, having participated in the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Veronicah Adhiambo has been a regular since her debut in the African Cup of Nations in 2021, while Juliana Namutira, recently crowned KVF women’s league MVP, and Jemimah Siang’u have also been regulars since their respective debuts. Mariam Musa, recently named KVF women’s league best outside hitter and seen as a potential heir to Mercy Moim at KCB, is also in contention to make her debut for Malkia Strikers.
The final 16-member squad will be announced before the team flies out to the Philippines for the Challenger Cup, scheduled for July 4-7, 2024. This squad will then be further trimmed to 13 members before heading to Miramas, France, for high-performance training in preparation for the Paris Olympic Games in August this year.
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