Japan World Cup: ‘Neglected’ Kenya Volleyball Team To go On Strike

Malkia Strikers against USA at the 2019 World Cup. [Photo: Courtesy]
Things have gone south inside the Kenya national women volleyball team’s camp at the ongoing FIVB World Cup in Japan. The broke Malkia Strikers are yet to receive their deserved allowances which have accrued to hundreds of thousands, and they are now considering a strike.

The ladies, who have family responsibilities back at home, demand about Sh350,000 each from the government for their national job stretching from July when they represented the country in Intercontinental Cup in Italy.

Malkia Strikers head coach Paul Bitok. [Photo: Courtesy]
Allowances which were to be paid for competing in the African Games in Morocco have also not been wired into their accounts despite public assurance from the government, and now they are three matches into the 2019 World Cup championships in Japan without a single coin.

Speaking to Opera News, in confidentiality, a number of players have revealed that if things continue the way they are, the team will only be left with the option of downing tools regardless of the magnitude of the tournament.

Image result for Waithaka kioni
Kenya Volleyball Federation president Waithaka Kioni. [Photo: Courtesy]
“Things are really tough on us. We can’t move any further because of financial trouble which is as a result of the government refusing to pay us our allowances. We, honestly, feel low here because our families back at home are also depending on us. You can imagine the pressure.

“We only hope that something will be done in time before we go on strike because we cannot compete in this state. We might just stay away from our scheduled match against Brazil on Wednesday,” the agitated players said collectively.

This comes barely a day after the team convened a crisis meeting with their Team Manager Ismael Chege in search of explanations. Chege, however, never had a tangible solution.

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