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Rwanda-based goalkeeper Titus Agunda believes he will have to go the extra mile if he is to make it to the final squad ahead of next month’s African handball Olympic qualifiers in Tunisia.
The event, which is also a qualifier for the 2021 World Championship in Cairo, Egypt, is set for January 15-25.
Agunda, who joined the team two weeks ago from Rwanda where he was named the Most Valuable Player, said there is stiff competition in the goalkeeping department.
“The department has attracted top goalies from the Kenya Handball Federation national league and the competition is massive and therefore I cannot sit pretty and think I will easily make it to the final squad. Something will have to give,” said Agunda, who was attached to National Cereals and Produce Board before he left for Rwanda Police in 2017.
“If you compare the current squad with the previous championships, I believe this particular one has what it takes to pull surprises in the competition. The players are in good spirits and everyone wants to make it to the final squad and that makes the training interesting.”
Agunda will be competing for a place in the final squad with Nicholas Otieno, Victor Otuoma, Teddy Sindai and Nicholas Ndochi.
Head coach Peter Mwathi echoed Agunda’s sentiments saying all the five goalkeepers are in good shape.
Mwathi said it was a full house save for Nicholas Okore who was yet to report to the non residential training at the Kaloleni grounds due to personal reasons.
“There will be no wild cards. The competition for the final 16 slots is amazing and whoever will make the traveling squad should have earned it. We have been training at Kaloleni grounds for a month now and we hope to move to Nyayo Stadium soon,” said Mwathi, who doubles up as the Strathmore men’s coach.
“There are some techniques we can't practice on this surface as we might risk the players from getting injuries and I’m happy atleast with the surface at Nyayo, we can exhaust everything. If we can’t qualify for the Olympics then we have to make it to the World Championships.”
The top six nations at the end of the Olympic qualifiers will earn a ticket to the 2021 World Championships.
