Hockey: Badgers face Herculean task against Police
Strathmore University's Job Okumu (left) vies for the ball with Parkroad Badgers' Ian Oyale during their Kenya Hockey Union Premier League match at the City Park Stadium, Nairobi on October 23, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Relegation-threatened Parkraod Badgers will be looking to end their poor run with at least a win in their remaining three matches
- Badgers will Saturday take on 2017 champions Kenya Police at the City Park Hockey Stadium in Nairobi
- Third-placed Police will start as favourites but they are yet to get their winning mojo back after picking only one win in their last five matches
Kenya Hockey Union men's Premier League action resumes this weekend after the festive break with eight matches on the card.
Relegation-threatened Parkraod Badgers will be looking to end their poor run with at least a win in their remaining three matches.
Badgers will Saturday take on 2017 champions Kenya Police at the City Park Hockey Stadium in Nairobi.
Badgers, who are second from bottom with seven points from 15 matches will then battle Greensharks and Western Jaguars in their last two matches of the season.
Technical official David Omwaka, who is well aware that it will take a 'miracle' for them to survive a drop to the second tier, said they are ready to start all over again.
"It's only fair for us to bow out of the Premier League with at least a win. It will be a tall order against Police and Jaguars but we can push Greensharks to the edge. We begun the season on the wrong footing and it's unfortunate that by the time we smelt the coffee, it was late.
"We have been to the Super League before and we know what to do. Should we be relegated, I'm sure we won't stay there for long. We have good players but they lacked maturity and also we didn't have enough time to train," said Omwaka.
Third-placed Police will start as favourites but they are yet to get their winning mojo back after picking only one win in their last five matches.
Police have 28 points from 14 matches behind much-improved Western Jaguars who have 35 points from 15 matches while defending champions and leaders Butali have 40 points from as many matches.
"We were in control of things for the better part of the season, but along the way, we lost the plot and we are now playing catch up which should not be the case," decried Police coach Patrick Mugambi.
Police will then face Greensharks on Sunday who occupy eighth position with 16 points from 16 matches in the 10-team league.
Bottom-placed Mombasa Sports Club, who will not be in action over the weekend, have six points from 17 matches and are also facing the drop to the second tier at the end of the season on January 29.
At the end of the season, the top two in the Super League in both genders are promoted to the Premier League, while the last two sides in the top tier are demoted.
In other matches on Saturday, Multimedia University (MMU) take on Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), while Parklands Sports Club play Tigers.
Fixtures (All matches at City Park unless stated)
Saturday
MMU v JKUAT (2pm)
Parklands Sports Club v Tigers (4pm)
Police v Badgers (6pm)
Sunday
JKUAT v KCA (11am)
Sikh Union v Nakuru (1pm, Dashmesh Stadium)
Wazalendo Masters v MMU (1pm)
Police v Greensharks (3pm)
Sailors v Butali (5pm)
