The Kenyan Pipeline team has opted out of the forthcoming African Women’s Champion Clubs Cup competition holding in Cairo, the capital of Egypt.
Pipeline, sponsored by Kenya’s state oil distribution firm, Kenya Pipeline Company, at one time reigned supreme in the continental club scene, having won the event numerous times.
This time round, it appears they are not adequately prepared for the week-long championships which starts 25 April and have instead opted for the East and Central Africa Clubs Championships at home in May.
“I believe the team is not ready for the task but we will take part in the regional competition, said club official Joseph Kipngeno, who spoke on behalf of the firm’s managing director, George Okungu.
Kipgeno told the press that the withdrawal was a tactical move and was not a reflection of the club’s dwindling fortunes.
“We will be back soon to reclaim our position on the continent,” he said.
Pipeline were one of the three Kenyan teams preparing for the continental championship.
The others are newcomers and international battlefield debutants, Kenya Prisons and regulars Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), runners up in the 2007 event.
KCB are under pressure to reclaim the continental crown they surrendered to Egypt’s Al Ahly in 2007
The bankers are regular participants in the continental event that runs under the aegis of the Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB).
