Malkia Strikers land in ‘Group of Death’ at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris

Malkia Strikers have their work cut out for them at the Paris Olympics after being joined in their group with world volleyball powerhouses.

Kenyan women’s volleyball team Malkia Striker’s chances of making an impact at the Paris Olympics are being tested after being drawn into a tough group following Wednesday’s draw.

Malkia Strikers have been joined in a ‘Group of Death’ with Olympic silver medalists Brazil, European powerhouse Poland and Asian giants Japan.

It’s a déjà vu moment for Team Kenya as they face two teams that inflicted major losses on them at the 2020 Olympic Games in Brazil and Japan.

Kenya Volleyball Federation vice-president Paul Bitok has bowed to pressure and resigned from his role as assistant coach of the Malkia Strikers for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Malkia Strikers finished the Tokyo Olympics last after failing to win a set following comprehensive defeats against Brazil, Serbia, South Korea, Dominican Republic and Japan, although they managed to put some points on the board against the latter.

Brazil would finish second and claim silver, after losing to the United States of America in the final, while Serbia took bronze.

Things will be tough again for Kenya this time as world-best Brazil come into the Olympics as one of the favourites, while Poland is currently the fourth country in the FIVB rankings and Japan is seventh.

Kenya can get one over Japan, who also exited the 2020 edition at the group stage despite playing at home as they try to limit the damage against the other two.

Unlike the Tokyo Olympics, where there were two groups of six teams, with the top four advancing to the next round, the Paris 2024 Games will have three groups of four teams.

Kenya qualified for the Olympic Games for the second time in a row after being crowned continental champions at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon last August.

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