Why new Olympics date delights Atuka

What you need to know:

  • The Mukumu Girls High School alumnus, however said it would be foolish to assume her position in the team will come on a silver platter, but observed she will have to work for it.
  • Atuka said she will put her best foot forward and go the extra mile to be fit for national team selection.

The postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games to next year was music to the ears of dependable national women’s volleyball team player, Triza Atuka.

The coronavirus outbreak saw the summer games rescheduled.

Atuka, who is recovering from a nasty knee injury she picked last October during the Kenya Volleyball Federation Nandi County Open Tournament in Kapsabet, was scheduled to miss this year’s Olympics that were originally set for July 24 to August 9, after being ruled out for nine months.

The injury saw the Kenya Pipeline captain miss the Olympic qualifiers that were held early this year in Cameroon as Kenya overwhelmhed Nigeria, Botswana, Egypt, and the hosts Cameroon for the sole ticket reserved for Africa.

Kenya will be returning to the bonanza after 16 years hiatus.

The Mukumu Girls High School alumnus, however said it would be foolish to assume her position in the team will come on a silver platter, but observed she will have to work for it.

Atuka said she will put her best foot forward and go the extra mile to be fit for national team selection.

“I wasn’t going to be fit for the Olympic Games were they to be held this year. But with the postponement to next year, there is a glare of hope. Olympics are the ultimate event for every athlete and I hope to be part of the team of course not through wild card, but by sheer hard work," said Atuka, who turns 28 in mid-April.

Voted Africa's best blocker in 2017, she will have to battle for the middle blocking positon against regular Edith Wisa, fast rising Gladys Ekaru, Joan Chelagat, Lorine Chebet and left handed Violet Makuto, who can play both as middle blocker and right attacker.

Atuka was part of the Malkia Strikers team that retained the African Games title during the last year's event in Rabat, Morocco.

National women’s team coach Paul Bitok said there would definitely be changes in the provisional squad that he had released last week.

”Change is inevitable and it comes with time. The move might favour Atuka. She is a great player and I believe given chance she can make it to the team," Bitok said.

The East Africans are drawn in pool ‘A’ alongside hosts Japan, South Korea, Serbia, Dominican Republic and Brazil. Pool 'B' features China, USA, Russia, Italy, Argentina and Turkey. The top two teams will book a place in the semi-finals.

Kenya failed to record a win in her last appearance at the 2004 Athens Games. Kenya faced Brazil, Italy, South Korea, Japan and hosts Greece.