Ex-international Mwangi axed as women's hockey coach

Wazalendo coach Fidhelis Kimanzi has been retained as the men's national team coach for the forthcoming Africa 2024 Olympic qualifiers to be staged in South Africa.

Kimanzi will be assisted by Western Jaguars coach Micheal Malungu.

The provisional squad of 30 players will start training on Friday through to Sunday at the City Park Hockey Stadium, Nairobi ahead of the November bonanza.

Kimanzi led the lads to a fourth place during the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana where South Africa won the title. In the women's team, Meshack Senge will take over from former Kenya international Jacquline Mwangi.

Mwangi, who was assisted by Barbara Simiyu, was with the team that participated in last year's Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. The former Blazers player led Kenya to third place during the Africa Cup of Nations.

Kenya Hockey Union chairman Nashon Randiek revealed they are working in conjunction with the Olympic Solidarity Program to source for an international coach to be attached to the Kenyan teams.

"We are all about tacticians who are result oriented and really, the selected coaches have done pretty well with their respective clubs. They have credentials that I believe will do good for the teams. The women's team will start training on Tuesday, while the men's side will begin on Wednesday. We want to start early preparations so that we can have a competitive side  ahead of the  championships," said Randiek.

During the 2022 Olympic qualifiers that were held in South Africa, the women's side coached by Tom Olal  finished fourth, while the men's team under Senge placed fifth.