Brackcides Khadambi

Brackcides Khadambi
Personal information
Full nameBrackcides Agala Khadambi
NationalityKenyan
Born (1984-05-14) 14 May 1984 (age 40)
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight69 kg (152 lb)
Spike310 cm (122 in)
Block300 cm (118 in)
Volleyball information
Current clubFrance VBC Chamalières
Number15
Career
YearsTeams
2010Kenya Kenya Prisons
National team
2010Kenya Kenya

Brackcides Agala Khadambi (born 14 May 1984) is a Kenyan female volleyball player. She was captain of the Kenya women's national volleyball team and she competed in beach volleyball at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Life

She was born in 1984. She has been given the nickname of "Blackie".[1]

In 2007 she became better known after Japanese coach Sadatoshi Sugawara discovered her. Sugawara had seen her training and he was surprised to find that she was not in the provisional national squad for the World Cup. Sigawara had her training with the national squad the next day and she joined the surprised team to play at the 2007 FIVB World Cup in Japan. After the competition she was invited to stay in Japan where she gained three months of training with the Hitachi team.[2]

During training not all the team bonded with her but Dorcas Ndasaba was very welcoming and she became her supporter as Khadambi built up her place within the team.[2] Meanwhile she was in Turkey in 2009 where she played for the Pursaklav team.[2] She participated in the 2010 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship. [3]

From 2014 to 2016 she was playing in France for the Chamalieres team, whilst also serving as the captain of the National side. In 2015 she was the captain as the team refused to play in Canberra after several victories. The players were annoyed that they had not been paid money that had been promised by the KVF. The boycott was successful and the team played and won against Peru.[2] The KVF were not pleased and when the team's were announced for the 2016 Summer Olympics neither Khadambi or her assistant Janet Wanja were asked to the qualifying matches.[2]

She played with Kenya Prisons. In 2019 she led Kenya Prisons to win the Kenyan Nation League at the Kasarani Indoor Arena and she became Kenya's "Most Valuable Player".[2] The chosen players names for the Olympics were revealed on 26 June 2021.[4] Paul Bitok's Olympic team included the veterans Mercy Moim and Jane Wacu[5][6] but former players Violet Makuto, Elizabeth Wanyama[7] and Agala (aka Khadambi) were not included.[2] However Khadambi will be in Tokyo, as she and Gaudencia Makokha, make up Kenya's beach volleyball team. She was included after Makokha's regular partner Naomi Too was injured and she could not make the Olympic trials.[1] She and Makokha competed initially with the teams from Brazil,[8] the United States and Latvia in pool D.[9]

Clubs

References

  1. ^ a b Isaboke, Alex (21 July 2021). "Kenya: Coach Mulinge Extols Blackie's Steady Rise in Beach Volleyball". allAfrica.com. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Makh, Agnes; ia (12 October 2020). "Kenya: The Triumph and Tribulations of Brackcides Agala, Kenyan Volleyball's Icon". allAfrica.com. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  3. ^ "Kenyan volleyball team at the 2010 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship". sebare.com. Archived from the original on 18 February 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  4. ^ "Kenya unveil roster for the Tokyo Olympics". fivb.com. 26 June 2021. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  5. ^ Ayodi, Ayumba (12 July 2021). "Kenya: Tokyo Another Feather in the Cap for Coach Bitok, Moim and Wacu". allAfrica.com. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Kenya Unveil Roster For The Tokyo Olympics". fivb.com. 26 June 2021. Archived from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  7. ^ "Kenyan volleyball team keen to make up for lost time at Olympics - Xinhua | English.news.cn". www.xinhuanet.com. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  8. ^ "TOKYO 2020: Brazil ladies too hot to handle for Kenya's Women Beach Volleyball team | MozzartSportKe". www.mozzartsportke.com. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  9. ^ "Kenyan volleyball team departs for Tokyo Olympics - Xinhua | English.news.cn". www.xinhuanet.com. Retrieved 13 July 2021.