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Kenyan netball coaches face selection challenges for the 2024 Mirxes Nations Cup team, cutting from 22 to 12 players soon.
Seasoned netball national team coaches Peninah Nyakundi and Evelyn Cherono are facing selection head aches with an ultimatum of five days ahead of the 2024 Mirxes Nations Cup that has already been scheduled for 1-7th September this year at the OCBC Arena in Singapore.
Speaking during the national team's training session at Ulinzi Sports Complex indoor facility in Nairobi on Tuesday, Nyakundi said that she has a provisional squad of 22 players that needs to be trimmed to the final 12 by 25th of this month as preparations continue to hit high gear.
" We have selected a brilliant squad full of young and experienced players. There are alot of qualities that we are looking for, taking into consideration some upcoming players that have really stepped up from our under 21 national team and now are eyeing a senior call up while others are returning after a sabbatical," admitted Nyakundi adding that it was now upto the players to prove their worth in under a week and impress the coaches.
Prisons Kenya veteran tactician Evelyne Cherono will help Nyakundi on the technical bench that has Ugandan import Mugisha Ali as head coach and Arne Bett as team manager during the games in Singapore that Kenya will use to improve on continental rankings as well as qualify for the 2026 Commonwealth games.
National league debutants Equity Bank have produced their national u-21 prodigies, the duo led by junior national team Captain and Center Miriam Wamani together with Goal Shooter Delilah Akinyi are both eyeing to be in the final squad.
Another national league rookie club Kenyatta National Hospital ( KNH) who recently romped in former Ulinzi Swords Goal Attack Hellen Sinoya, will hope she makes the final cut together with teammates Winnie Akinyi who plays Wing Defense and Goal Shooter Nancy Opiyo.
Sinoya's former employers Ulinzi Swords have the bulk of players in the provisional squad, nine of them led by the industrious Wing Defense Abigael Seme, Goal Defense Jackline Auro, Center Elsa Ndong', Goal Attack Dorine Akinyi, Centers Vidah Otieno, Winfred Oyugi and Debra Khakula while Nipher Adika is trying out as Goal Shooter and Lilian Mboga at Goal Defense.
13 times national league champions and current league table leaders Prisons Kenya have eight players in the provisional squad that are also hoping for the final cut with a close eye from their head coach Evelyn Cherono who is also an assistant coach at the national team.
Goal Attack Lydia Nyapera is currently in camp, a farmiliar environment that she hopes to capitalize on as she eyes more caps with the national team as well as long serving national team captain Parin Simiyu who will be at Goal Defense and Wing Defense Pauline Ramadhan.
Others from Prisons Kenya to have made the provisional squad are Goal Defense Teresa Othuon, Centers Mary Atieno and Irene Anyango, Goal Keeper Lucy Akumu and Goal Attack Nancy Auro.
Kenya Netball Federation is yet to announce the team's departure date, but it's all systems go with intense training drills at the Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi.
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