Kenya's Shujaa captain Samuel Asati has assured that they will successfully defend the 28th edition of Safari Sevens rugby tournament set for Nyayo Stadium on October 9-11.
The scrumhalf believes nothing will stop his side from guarding the coveted title owing to the calibre of players Shujaa have lined up ahead of the international showdown.
"Yes, definitely. No one will leave with the trophy. We will go home with it, again this year.
"Our fans expect much from us and we are very ready to deliver for them the promise again," Asati said after Kenya Breweries Limited announced a Sh14 million sponsorship towards the tournament yesterday.
"I'm very confident of the crop of players that we have. We have been stepping up training for this event immediately after the National Sevens Circuit ended. Right now, we have gelled and are ready to roar. We have depth in the squad. Our new inclusions are already giving us value for money," Asati said.
Asati feels Kenya Morans, who ended the championship in third place last season, might have an upper hand since a chunk of the squad have earned call-ups to the national team that is plying duty in Mauritius at the Africa Men's Sevens this weekend.
But, nonetheless, Asati is still confident that Shujaa has what it takes to retain the Safari Sevens crown.
"We have the willpower. We have the grit. We are very resilient. So I don't think Morans will be able to beat us even though they are a step ahead with the Africa Men's Sevens competition happening in Mauritius this week," the Olympian said.
The 27-year-old KCB star believes early preparations gave them the Safari Sevens trophy last season and is part of the game ritual Shujaa is following this year.
"Last year, we knew what we wanted and we had a game plan for it, so we went ahead and won the trophy. That's what we are doing right now too in training," he said.
Asati is hopeful that this season he will once again bag the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in the tournament, a feat he said he managed to achieve through support from his teammates and understanding his role as a scrumhalf of the team.
"As we head for the tournament, I feel we need to work on our attack and defence transitions. The quicker we are the better, " he said.
On his message to Kenyan fans ahead of the tournament, Asati stated: " You are amazing people. We love you. We cherish your massive turnouts. Once again this is your opportunity to come to the stadium to watch us live. Kindly buy the tickets and let's meet at Nyayo Stadium during the tournament."
Just like Asati, Kenya Lionesses player Judith Auma has assured that they will defend their women's title.
