Kenya Volleyball VP Paul Bitok hails Malkia Strikers after Vietnam triumph
By Joel Masibo, August 28, 2025The Kenya Volleyball Federation’s Vice President, Paul Bitok, is proud of the women’s volleyball team, Malkia Strikers, and their journey at this year’s FIVB Women’s World Championship in Thailand.
Despite being eliminated following hard-fought defeats to Poland and Germany, the team etched a historic moment with a straight-sets win over Vietnam (25-23, 25-22, 25-18) on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, in Phuket.
In his Thursday, August 28, 2025, statement, coach Bitok admitted that Malkia Strikers went to Thailand with a mission and they accomplished it despite crashing out of the competition where they were placed in Group G alongside Germany, Vietnam and Poland.
”We came with one mission united as one team! We have already achieved an important victory against Vietnam and even took a set from one of the world’s top teams, Poland. The mission continues as we take another big step toward defeating Asia’s best and making history for Kenya. Congratulations to the team! I am proud to lead you as Head of Delegation and as a leader of the federation.” Bitok said.
The campaign started on a rocky note when the team raised public concern over unpaid allowances. After a viral plea and widespread attention, Paul Bitok confirmed that the issue was swiftly resolved, and the Ministry of Sports stepped in, facilitating payments to players’ accounts just before their opening match against Germany last Saturday, August 23, 2025.
Despite falling to Germany (0-3) and Poland (1-3), the Strikers never lost their spirit. Against Poland, they even clinched a set (25-15) before succumbing. That grit laid the foundation for their signature win over Vietnam on Wednesday.
Looking forward
Paul Bitok added that the team is focusing on playing at the higher levels after the World Championships outing while pushing for better rankings.
”With stronger preparation both locally and internationally, we will rise to the top. Let’s keep pushing to earn more points at the 2026 African Cup of Nations and make history at the 2028 Olympics.” Bitok said.
Currently, Kenya sits 19th with 158.49 points, comfortably ahead of Cameroon, placed 45th with 76.72 points and Egypt, 56th with 46.90 points in FIVB standings.