NAIROBI, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Kenya risks being stripped of the right to host the Africa Girls Under-20 championships.
Ben Juma, the Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) Secretary General, said should the number of participating teams exceed 12; the country will be stripped of the hosting rights because it lacks two functional indoor playing grounds.
"It is a simple rule that will lock Kenya out. Global volleyball governing body FIVB guidelines state that a tournament with more than 12 teams must be held in two different venues. But Kenya only has one indoor facility in Nairobi at Kasarani that meets the international standards," Juma warned on Thursday in Nairobi.
The last tournament the Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB) hosted saw 21 teams competing in Cairo, Egypt. Now Juma says unless some of the county sports halls are upgraded, Kenya will have to forfeit the hosting rights for the Under-20 Championships.
"I recently visited Congo Brazzaville and found out they have seven indoor gyms and I don't think achieving such a milestone can be a difficult task in Kenya," he said.
Kenya is due to host the Africa Women's Under-20 championships in Nairobi from Aug. 17- 26. Kenya last hosted the Africa Women's club championships in 2015 with 11 teams competing. The tournament will be sponsored in part by the FIVB and the local volleyball federation. Enditem
