Nairobi — Kenya Pipeline volleyball team attacker Pamela Adhiambo says her immediate concern is to graduate from university before thinking of going pro in her career.
The youngster was named the most valuable player (MVP) at this year's national volleyball league playoffs as the oilers claimed their first title in five years.
However, the former Nyakach Girls High School student says her education is currently the most important issue on her to-do list.
"I can say I do but I am not in a hurry to go professional in my volleyball career. Right now, I am focused on my profession... I am at the university studying for my bachelor's degree in commerce, specializing in finance. My wish is to first of all graduate because right now in Kenya if you don't have your professional papers no one will employ you. So, fingers crossed that I will graduate by next year," Adhiambo, who studies at Cooperative University, said.
It has been a meteoric rise for Adhiambo who has come into Kenya Pipeline and cemented her place in the team.
Apart from her accolades at the Kasarani Indoor Gymnasium, the venue for Pipeline's 3-1 win over Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) in the playoffs final, Adhiambo was also named MVP at last year's editions of the Heroes Volleyball Tournament and Eldoret Open.
She says her transition into the paid ranks of the sport has been made more seamless by experienced coach Paul Gitau who she worked with at the national Under 20 level.
"It (transition from school to club) has not been that difficult because straight from high school I met coach Gitau. He has been my coach at the Under 20 level and luckily, he came to Pipeline at around the same time that I joined the club so I felt at home. There was not much tension or fear other than the fact that I was now playing with players I only used to see on TV," she said.
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Adhiambo added: "Coming from high school, I was simply known as an attacker. At the club, all I had to do was to improve on my skills by learning proper ways on how to tackle opponents. We were just doing thorough training on the attacks, backcourt defence and on the blocks."
With the national title wrapped up, Adhiambo opines that the next target for the champions is to conquer this year's Africa Club Championships.
She is, nonetheless, cognizant of the fact that the oilers have a target on their backs as other African teams become weary of them.
"Our next focus is definitely the Africa Club Championships. Last year, we finished third and so this year, we definitely have to aim for a podium place. If we can get third place, then we can get second place or even win the tournament," Adhiambo said.
She added: "Of course there is a lot of pressure because all the other competitors now know us and will be looking at us especially since we beat the continental champions (KCB) to win the national title."
The team were on Thursday morning feted by their sponsor, Kenya Pipeline Corporation, for their title win and were awarded Ksh 1.3million.
Present at the function, held at Boma Hotel in Nairobi, were the principal secretary in the state department of the ministry of Energy and Petroleum Mohammed Liban, company's board chair Faith Bett and acting managing director Joe Sang.
