Kenya wins Roll Ball World Cup

Kenya National Women Roll Ball team celebrating after winning the 2023 Women's World Cup in India.


Photo credit: Pool |

What you need to know:

  • Despite arriving late for the games, the Kenyan girls have been impressive, winning all their matches to lift the title in style.
  • At the group level, Kenya defeated Nepal 8-1, France 10-0, Sri Lanka 6-2 and Egypt 2-1. Kenya then overcame Poland 2-1 in the semi-finals.

Kenya national women’s roll ball team on Tuesday successfully defended their Roll Ball World Cup title with a 5-0 win over Egypt in the final at Shri Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Balewadi in Pune, India.

Despite arriving late for the games, the Kenyan girls have been impressive, winning all their matches to lift the title in style.

At the group level, Kenya defeated Nepal 8-1, France 10-0, Sri Lanka 6-2 and Egypt 2-1. Kenya then overcame Poland 2-1 in the semi-finals.

Kenya won the first World Cup in 2015 in Chennai City, India before reclaiming the title in 2019 in the same city.

Their male counterparts will Wednesday clash with Latvia in the semi-finals.

At the group stage in the men’s contest, Kenya thumped Sierra Leone 16-0, Iran 8-2, France 18-0, Ivory Coast 10-2 and Sri Lanka 11-0.

Captain Moses Atenya told Nation Sport they are expecting a good show in the semis on Wednesday.

“Though we arrived late, we registered positive results and we are optimistic of making it to the final,” said Atenya.

Roll ball, a sport that is gaining popularity around the world, has found a following in Kenya.

The team's success at the World Cup is sure to encourage more people to take up the sport and perhaps even lead to the development of more dedicated playing facilities in the country.

Roll ball is a sport that combines elements of roller skating, handball and basketball. It was first played in India in the 2000s and has since gained popularity in several countries around the world.

The game is played by two opposing teams, each consisting of six players on the court at a time.

The objective is to score goals by throwing a ball into the opponent's net, which is located at either end of the court. Players move around the court on roller skates, making the game fast-paced and exciting.

One unique aspect of roll ball is the rule that requires players to pass the ball at least once before taking a shot on the goal.

This encourages teamwork and strategic game play, as players must work together to set up scoring opportunities.