The 2022 Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) season is at the tail-end but it is worrying that long-serving administrators seem clueless as to how to grow the game. The men’s Premier League is programmed to conclude on January 29.
The women’s league has already been decided, Strathmore University’s Scorpions winning the title for the first time. Unbeaten in 10 outings, the Scorpions beat United International University-Africa (USIU-A) Spartans 4-2 to clinch the title in November with two matches to spare and effectively qualify for the 2023 Africa Club Championships.
Butali Warriors, unbeaten in 16 matches, top the men’s league with 40 points and only need one win to be champions.
Worryingly, there is nothing to write home about. Teams face financial constraints. The leagues don’t have a sponsor and winners are only awarded trophies without cash prizes. It’s high time KHU came up with ways of making the leagues vibrant. If well branded and marketed, it will attract sponsors. Such leagues motivate clubs to raise their game to match top teams from the continent, benefiting the national teams.
The low standards of the sport locally has reflected badly on the national teams. For instance, the women’s team failed to win a match at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham while the men did not qualify for the championship.
The men’s team, which frequented the Olympic Games in the 1980s and ‘90s, has fallen down the pecking order in Africa. It finished fourth in the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana after losing to Nigeria 4-2 in the play-off for the bronze medal.
South Africa beat Egypt 3-1 to win the title. The women’s team claimed the bronze after beating Zimbabwe 3-1 in a penalty shootout as South Africa beat Ghana 3-1 to win the title. From a high of competing at the Olympics in 1988 and the Hockey World Cup in 1973, the men’s team is yet to win the Africa title.
The standard of hockey in Kenya has plummeted over the years, chiefly due to poor pitches, lack of exposure for players and mismanagement. It is time officials revived the sport.
