After an illustrious six-year tenure as the head coach of Kenya Prisons men's volleyball team, David Lung'aho has finally announced his departure.
His departure coincides with the team's triumph, which saw them reclaim the Kenya Volleyball (KVF) national men's league title.
The feat was achieved after a thrilling showdown against General Service Unit (GSU) during the end-of-season playoffs held at the Kasarani Indoor Arena on Wednesday.
In a nail-biting five-set match, Prisons battled their way to victory courtesy of a 3-2 (25-20, 25-21, 22-25, 28-30, 15-10) win, dethroning the defending champions GSU and being crowned the new national champions.
Lung'aho, who has been at the helm of the Prisons men’s team since 2018, and previously the Prisons women’s team from 2008 to 2017, said his decision was a well-considered move to pave the way for other coaches' growth
"Winning the title was my bye-bye gift to the team and it meant everything to us. I am taking a break and I will just be advising on programmes of training for all Prisons teams. I am not going to involve myself in coaching as I have to allow other coaches to grow too," Lungaho said.
The victory marked the end of GSU's six-year reign, with Prisons celebrating their first league glory since 2016.
The tactician attributed this triumph to meticulous planning, rigorous training, unwavering self-belief, and crucially, the steadfast support from their management.
“In this year's playoffs, we planned and trained well and had confidence and belief in ourselves. With good support from our management, we were able to improve our skills and made very few errors in our games," said Lungaho.
Renowned for their formidable defence and powerful attacks, the team has an impressive record, having clinched the African Club Championship title an astounding nine times.
The renowned coach expressed his aspiration to continue coaching at the national level if given the opportunity.
"I hope I will still serve as a coach in the national team if given the opportunity but for the club, my time has come to an end. I will also be open to any offers that might come my way for coaching services," he concluded.
Lung'aho revealed that assistant coach Dennis Mokua will take over as head coach. Under Mokua's leadership, Prisons will set their sights on representing Kenya in the Africa Club Championships, aiming for a stellar performance on the continental stage.
