Three local handball clubs return to regional tourney
Nairobi Water's Melvin Akinyi (left) vies with Amazon's Priscila Jebet during their Kenya Handball Federation National League match at Nyayo National Stadium on October 11, 2021
What you need to know:
- Strathmore coach Peter Mwathi stated that the team will participate in the Kenya University Sports Association (KUSA) Games next month at Kibabi University grounds.
- “We will skip the East and Central Championship since our focus is to reign supreme in the varsity games,” said Mwathi, who doubles up as the national men’s coach.
Three Kenya Handball Federation National League sides will return to the annual East and Central Africa Clubs Championship set for November 28 and December 6 in Dar es salaam, Tanzania.
National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) men’s and women’s teams and Black Mamba men will join regular Nairobi Water women's in the nine-day event.
The three clubs missed the 2019 edition held in Kigali, Rwanda, as Nairobi Water retained the title, while hosts APR won the men's title.
Black Mamba’s coach Martin Abunde remained hopeful of a good show, saying their presence will certainly be felt.
“We are a self-supporting club and our participation in the clubs championship is tied to sponsorship. If a sponsor comes on board, we are always willing and ready to participate in the event. We are thankful to Anthony Waithaka, who has agreed to sponsor our trip to Tanzania and we hope to make him proud,” remarked Abunde.
Abunde acknowledged that the team will face stiff competition from compatriots NCPB, APR and Democratic Republic of Congo sides.
“We are doing pretty well currently in the league and we hope to extend the good form in the championship. We finished second behind NCPB in the 2018 event that was held in Zanzibar. We are trying a new formation and we hope it will work in Tanzania," he added.
Black Mamba occupy third position with 3o points in the national league, behind Strathmore University and champions NCPB, who have 34 and 32 points respectively.
Strathmore and Kenya Defence Forces (men and women), who had earlier shown interest in the event, have pulled out.
Strathmore coach Peter Mwathi stated that the team will participate in the Kenya University Sports Association (KUSA) Games next month at Kibabi University grounds.
“We will skip the East and Central Championship since our focus is to reign supreme in the varsity games,” said Mwathi, who doubles up as the national men’s coach.
