Okumu shifts focus to qualifiers as Covid halts Germany dream
Maureen Okumu of Telkom Orange celebrates a goal during a past match.
What you need to know:
- The event is set for January 18-24 at the Sikh Union Hockey Stadium in Nairobi.
- Okumu plays for Blazers (formerly Telkom Orange)
Kenyan international midfielder Maureen Okumu has set her sights on next year's North East region qualifiers after failing to link up with her German side Hockey & Tennis Club (HTC) Shwarz-Weiss Bonn.
The event is set for January 18-24 at the Sikh Union Hockey Stadium in Nairobi.
Okumu, who was attached to the German side, but plays for Blazers (formerly Telkom Orange) was scheduled to leave the country early this month for the second leg of Division Four tier but failed to travel due to coronavirus pandemic.
"It is sad that I won't be able to complete what I started. When I joined the team last year, alongside Flavia Mutiva and Lilian Aura, the team was in position seven and I'm glad that at the completion of the first leg, it was placed second and that was quite a milestone," said the 24-year-old.
"But I hope next year, they will reconsider my services because I really want to better my play. For now I'm directing my energy to the forthcoming national team assignment."
Okumu, a Sinyolo Girls Secondary School alumnus, remained positive that the national team will excel in the qualifiers that will see the top two teams book tickets to Africa Cup of Nations after flopping in the Olympic qualifiers last year.
The women's team will compete against Egypt, Burundi, Libya, Seychelles, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
"We have the chance to make up for our dismissal performance during the Olympic qualifiers last year in South Africa. But our team has to have a cocktail of experienced and promising players," noted the pacy midfielder who joined the national team in 2016.
The women's team finished fourth in the five-nation event.
Ahead of the African clubs Championship scheduled for November 30 to December 5 in Blantyre, Malawi, Okumu is hopeful a sponsor will come to their rescue so that they can return to the event after they missed last year's competition in Egypt due to financial constraints.
"It has not been easy for us after our sponsorship with Telkom came to an end mid last season. We have struggled to make ends meet. Our hope is to make a come back to the event and reclaim the title," Okumu said.
