Equity Bank fall to Rwanda Police in regional handball tourney
Kenya men’s handball team coach Peter Mwathi.
What you need to know:
- Maxwell Munene, Simon Mutuku, Brian Murangiri, Prevailer Munani, Kevin Mwangi, Valerie Stower are some of the players that played for Strathmore before they graduated to join Equity.
- "There are certain systems of play that we put in these players while at Strathmore and it's just a continuation of what we started. The chemistry is there. These players have grown together and I would love to see how all this will end, and what they will achieve," said Mwathi, 55, who also coaches the national men's team.
Newcomers Equity Bank's debut at the East and Central Africa Handball Clubs Championship got off to a wrong start after slim 28- 29 loss against former champions Police of Rwanda in their first match of pool "B" at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi.
Equity coach Peter Mwathi acknowledged that regional event was a different ball game and hopes that the players will carry the same form and gusto they have paraded in the Kenya Handball Federation National League in the remaining group matches.
"It's a new team in the local league and again they are making their debut in event and they will be excused for being inexperienced at this level. But we have three more matches and we hope to make a statement. Most of the time we were forced to chase the game and our defence was leaking. It's sad that with only five minutes to the end of the match, we recovered to close in on the opponents but it was not enough as we lost the match," said Mwathi, who early this year moved from Strathmore University to form Equity Bank.
Equity have a date against Uganda Prisons Tuesday. Equity remain unbeaten with 20 points from 10 matches and occupy second position behind leaders and defending champions National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) in the Kenyan league.
Maxwell Munene, Simon Mutuku, Brian Murangiri, Prevailer Munani, Kevin Mwangi and Valerie Stower are some of the players that played for Strathmore before they graduated to join Equity.
"There are certain systems of play that we put in these players while at Strathmore and it's just a continuation of what we started. The chemistry is there. These players have grown together and I would love to see how all this will end, and what they will achieve," said Mwathi, 55, who also coaches the national men's team.
"Fielding them in this championship is an opportunity to expose them and for them to have an international feel. They are also here to learn and more so pick experience. We thank the management for facilitating us to grace this event. It means a lot to the players ," concluded Mwathi.
Monday's Results
GSU v Prisons (29-28)
NCPB v JKT (40-25)
Police v Equity Bank(28-29)
KDF v UPDF (45-43)
Tuesday's fixtures
Evergreen v Rwanda Police (M)9am
KDF v Nkajja (W)10:30 am
Equity v Uganda Prisons (M)12pm
NCPB v UPDF (M)1:30pm
JKT v Juba City (W)3pm
Juba City v Gicumbi (M) 4:30pm
