FIVB supremo Azevedo hails Kenya’s CAVB tournament, inspires Githurai youngsters

Speaking during a visit to Githurai Kimbo Academy in Nairobi on Saturday, Azevedo praised the organisation of the tournament and the conditions provided for players.

“They did a great job. The event was very well organised. The players told us the conditions were great,” Azevedo said.

His remarks came a day after Kenya’s Malkia Strikers suffered a heartbreaking defeat by Egypt on Friday evening. Despite the result, Azevedo said he was impressed by the energy and support generated by the tournament.

“In the two games I watched, the place was full. People were having fun. There was a great family atmosphere. It exceeded my expectations by far,” he said.

Azevedo’s visit to the academy was warmly received by its young volleyball players, who had the opportunity to interact with the head of the sport’s global governing body.

He outlined his vision for the future of volleyball, which is aligned with FIVB Vision 2032 and aims to expand the sport’s global reach.

“We want to move the international governing body to a more global movement. The vision and KPI is to move the entire volleyball community in the world, which stands at 800 million, to 1.6 billion people by 2032. This will make the sport more accessible, affordable and more understandable,” Azevedo said.

Githurai Kimbo Academy, headed by polished Sports Administrator Samuel Gacharira and run by the Volleyball Foundation - the FIVB’s social arm, has emerged as an example of how community sport can help identify and nurture talent.

"Volleyball plays a very important role in this community. Githurai is a slum area as you know and with that comes many challenges.. Volleyball distracts the kids from engaging in any vices commonly associated with life in the slums. They are able to concentrate more on important activities and even gain valuable life skills like teamwork,” averred Gacharira.

He also highlighted how volleyball has impacted the kids lives with opportunities for scholarships and educational opportunities.

"We have transformed the kids’ lives through our model of developing volleyball skills in hand with educational scholarships. Through education they can gain meaningful employment and those that excel in volleyball get chances elsewhere,” explained Gacharira.

Academy head coach Gideon Njine welcomed Azevedo’s visit and highlighted some of the challenges facing the programme. He called for closer collaboration between the government and the Kenya Volleyball Federation to improve sporting facilities and make them more versatile.

“We don’t have enough arenas. We don’t have enough academy-level players. We are not able to develop early, so we only depend on the Junior Secondary School games. This becomes a challenge,” Njine said.

“If the Kenya Volleyball Federation can push the government to build more multipurpose halls to accommodate more games, this would be crucial. A basketball court can double as a volleyball court as well, and this would push the sport further,” he added.

For the young players at Githurai Kimbo Academy, Azevedo’s visit offered more than inspiration. His rise to the top of the sport’s global administration provided a tangible example of what can be achieved regardless of one’s background.

His presence is expected to give the academy’s youngsters renewed belief as they pursue their own ambitions in volleyball.