Wanja dropped from Malkia Strikers squad via Facebook
Veteran setter Janet Wanja’s tenure with the national women volleyball team could be over after Malkia Strikers head coach Paul Bitok announced – via Facebook – that he has dropped her from his squad.
The Kenyan national women volleyball team is currently preparing to compete at the 2020 Olympic qualifiers.
Even though Bitok explained that Wanja had been axed owing to ‘personal commitments’ Nairobi News understands Bitok had his patience stretched after Wanja and two other players delayed to report to camp ahead of the crucial matches in Cameroon next month.
“I would like to announce that we will miss the services of Janet Wanja due to public commitments. The team and I are thankful for Wanja’s services all though,” Bitok said.
But another version of events has it that the Kenya Pipeline setter could be a victim of a greater power play involving national team players, the technical bench and officials.
The announcement comes as Wanja struggled for form during the national league playoffs last month and amid talk, she is seriously considering retirement from the national team after a successful career spanning 18 months.
Malkia Strikers is gunning to qualify for the Olympics for the first time in 15 years.
To achieve that goal they must however get past hosts Cameroon, Egypt, Tunisia and Senegal for the sole qualification berth to play at the Tokyo Olympics reserved for an African team.