Hockey: Butali inch closer to retaining crown
Butali Sugar Warriors players celebrate after winning bronze in the Africa Cup for Club Champions on February 19, 2023 at the Sikh Union, Nairobi.
What you need to know:
- In the women's Premier League, the top three positions remained unchanged. Champions in waiting, Blazers, Lakers and USIU have 31, 25 and 21 points from 12 matches they have each played.
- Fourth-placed and defending champions Strathmore University Scorpions were shocked by Kenyatta University Titans 1-0, a result that saw the latter evade relegation. Dutch Flower Group Wolverines and University of Nairobi will drop to the second tier.
Defending champions Butali Sugar Warriors moved closer to retaining their Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) men's Premier League title after the weekend round of matches.
A 2-1 win over perennial rivals Kenya Police on Saturday and 5-2 romp over Sailors on Sunday at the City Park Hockey Stadium, Nairobi moved them eight points clear at the top with 39 points from 15 matches.
Police's loss effectively ended their title hopes and they remain in second place on 31 points from 16 matches.
Third-placed Western Jaguars, who have 28 points, now stand between Butali and another title but they will need to win their remaining five matches, one of which is against Butali, and hope the latter lose against Wazalendo.
KHU is also yet to give a verdict on Butali's match against Kenya College of Accountancy University (KCA-U), which was to be played on January 28, but the sugar millers missed due delay in disbursement of funds from their sponsors.
Butali team manager Kamal Sembi is not celebrating yet and wants his charges to finish the job.
"It's not as easy as it looks. We cannot be overconfident but our players need to have a strong mentality ahead of the remaining matches which are likely to determine our fate.They are tough matches and therefore we will give our all as our objective is to retain the title. The season has been competitive which has kept us on the toes but i hope we have the final laugh," said Sembi.
Jaguars recovered from Saturday's 1-0 loss to United States International University Africa (USIU A) at the Eregi Teachers College in Kakamega County, to thrash KCAU A 5-1 at the same venue on Sunday.
At the lower end, Greensharks and KCA-U will start a new life in the Super League next season. Sharks and KCAU have eight and nine points respectively from 16 matches played.
In the men's Super League, leaders Daikyo Heroes and University of Eldoret (UoE) are on the brink of qualifying for the top tier. Daikyo have 47 points from 20 matches, while the varsity side have 43 points from as many matches.
In the women's Premier League, the top three positions remained unchanged. Champions in waiting, Blazers, Lakers and USIU have 31, 25 and 21 points from 12 matches they have each played.
Fourth-placed and defending champions Strathmore University Scorpions were shocked by Kenyatta University Titans 1-0, a result that saw the latter evade relegation. Dutch Flower Group Wolverines and University of Nairobi will drop to the second tier.
