Atieno backs Kenya to shine at Africa sitting Volleyball Championships

Kenya ParaVolley Federation chairperson Doris Atieno has urged the Kenyan participants to take advantage of home ground and win the forthcoming Africa Sitting Volleyball Championship, which will be hosted at Moi International Kasarani in Kenya between July 4 and 9, 2025.

Speaking on Monday, June 2, 2025, when the national team had its training at Kasarani Stadium, Petra announced that six countries have already confirmed their participation in the continental showpiece, with four more expected to join the fray.

“The competition is a ParaVolley Africa Zonal Championship (PVA), and being that we are the host, it’s a good chance for our teams to win it.

“Currently, we are placed as the third-best para volleyball nation in Africa, and if we win at home, then we shall have improved on continental rankings to achieve our goal of conquering Africa one day.

“We are playing at home, and I’m urging our players to take the home advantage and win it.”

The two finalists in the PVA championship will book a direct ticket to the 2026 Sitting Para Volley World Championships for men and women in Hangzhou, China, scheduled for July 10 and 17.

According to PPF, three Rwandese officials, including Mukeshimana Joy Happiness, Hererimana Herman, and Izerimana Raphael, will officiate the tournament.

The confirmed women’s teams to join hosts Kenya are Zimbabwe, Rwanda, and Congo, with Uganda, South Africa, and Burundi expected to confirm their participation soon.

The men’s teams will feature Kenya, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria, and Libya, with three more nations expected to confirm their participation.

Kenya is currently training with a provisional squad of 30 players for both men’s and women’s teams that was named back in April at the Nyayo Indoor Gymnasium, Nairobi, but will have to drop a player from both genders to make it 14 players each as per World Para Volleyball guidelines for the final list that will represent Kenya for this assignment in July.

After the continental event, there is also the 2025 Sitting Volleyball World Cup in Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA, on 12-18 October, where the first- and second-place teams will qualify for China next year for the World Championships that will have 32 teams, 16 apiece for both genders, with the four 2025 zone championships providing over half of the available slots per gender.