African women clubs championship set to begin in Kenya

 　　NAIROBI, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The African Women's Volleyball Clubs Championships will kick off in Nairobi on Thursday with three local clubs tipped to be the main contenders for the trophy¹.

　　Led by the defending champions, Kenya Prisons, the host nation will also be represented by previous winners Kenya Pipeline²; last year's losing finalists, as well as Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) that lifted the crown in 2006.

　　Stellar from Cote d'Ivoire were the only visiting side that had not arrived by Wednesday prior to the draw as organizers bid their time awaiting the team for the event that will end on May 20.

　　The skipping of the event from Egypt and Tunisia, the other powerhouses of the women's game besides Kenya and Algeria has seemingly made the path for the host sides to claim the solo ticket to represent the continent at the Club World Cup in Qatar set for August.

　　Daring Club Motema Pembe and Canon Ndjini (DR Congo), Stef Auto³ (Madagascar); Chlef (Algeria), DGSP (Congo Brazaville), FAP (Cameroon), Rwanda Revenue Authority (Rwanda), Manga Sports and Varieties (Gabon), Nkumba University (Uganda), Water Sports (Ethiopia), Blue Eagles (Nigeria), Jeshi Stars (Tanzania) and Mafolofolo (Botswana) are the other visiting sides in the competition.

　　Speaking on the eve of the tournament on Wednesday, Kenya Pipeline skipper, Lydia Chege, rallied her team to overcome the disappointment of losing last year to Prisons.

　　"Losing last year was bitter and returning to the World Cup is the main thing motivating us as we prepare to reclaim⁴ the title. We hope to be pooled with difficult teams since it works well for us in the later stages," she said.

　　Her coach, Japheth Munala who was formerly⁵ in charge of KCB shared her optimism stating that his side had been boosted by the return of Kenya internationals, Rhoda Liali and Asha Makuto who starred at last year' s FIVB World Cup.

　　"We are however, not taking any team for granted though we feel we are stronger this year but I hope we will not play Kenyan teams so early in the tournament," he added.

　　Paul Gitau, who is in charge of KCB, the home side labelled as the least potent⁶, acknowledged winning the tournament would be beyond his young side though he had reason to feel upbeat on the prospects⁷.

　　"My team needs time to blend and mature and I hope they will learn a lot from this event but I will take each game as it comes," he noted⁸.

　　Having replaced traditional giants, APR, the Rwanda Revenue Authority side?is coming to Nairobi keen on stamping their mark to make most of their continental⁹ foray.

　　"We want to prove that we are among the teams to watch out for and I assure you we are here to fight," their head coach Jean Luc Ndayikengurukiye said.

1 trophy   

n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品

参考例句：

• The cup is a cherished trophy of the company.那只奖杯是该公司很珍惜的奖品。
• He hung the lion's head as a trophy.他把那狮子头挂起来作为狩猎纪念品。

2 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

3 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

4 reclaim   

v.要求归还，收回；开垦

参考例句：

• I have tried to reclaim my money without success.我没能把钱取回来。
• You must present this ticket when you reclaim your luggage.当你要取回行李时，必须出示这张票子。

5 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

6 potent   

adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的

参考例句：

• The medicine had a potent effect on your disease.这药物对你的病疗效很大。
• We must account of his potent influence.我们必须考虑他的强有力的影响。

7 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 continental   

adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的

参考例句：

• A continental climate is different from an insular one.大陆性气候不同于岛屿气候。
• The most ancient parts of the continental crust are 4000 million years old.大陆地壳最古老的部分有40亿年历史。