UP YOUR GAME: German coach Rach says Kenyan hockey standards still below par

Coach Gerard Rach at Citypark. ON 18/08/14 PHOTO: JENIPHER WACHIE

Kenyan hockey is way below international standards, said German coach Gerard Rach who is currently in the country to help the national teams prepare for the World Hockey League One set for 2-7 September.

Rach, a former German international who started his hockey coaching career in the country in 1988 with the last Kenyan team to take part in the Olympics, however said that he had seen a lot of potential in the women’s team. The tactician is however worried about the men’s team, which he says, more should be done for them to perform better.

He said that for the country to perform well on the international scene, they players need intensive and professional training to equip them with basic hockey skills. “The players in the national team lack basic hockey skills, their standards are very low and not a single player in these teams can play in the German first league,” he said.

Post good results

In regard to the forthcoming International Hockey Federation (FIH) World League One, he tipped Kenya to post good results as most teams for the event are of the same level. He however told FeverPitch that he needed more time to work with the players and mould them into accomplished players capable of competing at the global scene.

He added: “Fitness is key (to success), I identified some players who had to work on their weights and the results are positive as they have been able to get rid of some weight.”

Need xposure

Rach expressed the importance of international exposure for players. “International test matches will be good for these players, the only way the teams can improve is when they play as many matches as possible against stronger teams,” Rach told FeverPitch on Monday.

He revealed that the teams were invited to Oman for friendly matches but could not go due to lack of funds to facilitate the trip.

Rach coached the current Kenya Hockey Union chairman Nashon Randiek and national team assistant coach legendary Inderjit Matharu in 1988. He observed that the country’s hockey standards had gone down compared to the 1980s.

“Back then Kenya was a hockey powerhouse, unfortunately all that is gone. However, all is not lost as much can be done to revive the sport and reclaim the lost glory,” concluded Rach who has also coached the India, Egypt and Bangladesh national teams. [email protected]