“There is no time to rest,” were the words of national women’s volleyball team ‘Malkia Strikers’ coach Paul Bitok in day two of the residential training at Kasarani Indoor Arena Friday morning ahead of upcoming FIVB World Cup planned for September 14-29 in Japan.

The ladies had initially been given up to Saturday before reporting to camp after their return to the country on Monday and Tuesday from Morocco where they won their fifth African Games title. “I think there will be time to rest once the work has been accomplished. For now we have to work on our weaknesses,” said Bitok.

“Of course our desire is to win the World Cup. But that is a huge aspiration given the kind of opposition we will be up against. However aspects like exposure and experience are unrivalled,” he added.

In Japan, Kenya, United States of America (USA), Argentina, the Netherlands, Serbia and Brazil will play their matches in Hamamatsu. Malkia Strikers will open their campaign on September 14 against USA.

Hosts Japan, Cameroon, Russia, South Korea and the Dominican Republic will be based in Yokohama. Bitok has bolstered his team by calling up two more players – the youthful Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) centre Lorine Chebet and Kenya Prisons libero Elizabeth Wanyama.

In the previous edition, also held in Japan in 2015, Malkia Strikers finished 10th out of 13 teams. Kenya will depart for Japan on September 11.       -AMOS ABUGA