Bank of Baroda eager to leave a mark at Inter-bank games

Bank of Baroda netball team's Florence Ngadi (left) and Evalyne Kasyoki of CBK during the Kenya Institute (KIB) Bankers Inter-bank games at the Absa ground on Monday. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Bank Of Baroda (BOB) Netball Club is one of the newest teams at the ongoing 37th edition of Kenya Institute of Bankers (KIB) Inter-bank Sports in Ruaraka, Nairobi.

Formed two months ago, the side has already achieved their short-term goal which was to win at least a match against a formidable opponent at the championships.

The side stunned NCBA Bank 9-4 in their opening fixture at the weekend before subsequently going down 29-4,17-11 and 18-5 to KCB Bank, Co-op Bank and Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) respectively.

Despite the heavy losses, BOB players say they are eager to leave an indelible mark in the tournament.

“We are already learning a lot, we came here without being well conversant with the rules of the game but now I can say we are at par with other teams as far as netball is concerned,” team captain Evelyn Kisero told Standard Sports.

Kisero, who is the only team member lucky to have played the sport 20 years ago in high school, says the game has helped the players to overcome boredom at home and at work.

“We used to idle much in the office, but now everyone in the team is active, flexible and fit. The game has opened our minds, we really feel young and fresh, as workmates we have interacted much, we now know each other well,” she underlined.

Ahead of the tournament, the team held its training sessions at the Nairobi Gymkhana, Jamhuri High School and lastly at Utalii College where they engaged in a series of friendly matches to toughen up.

Concerning their experience in the ongoing tournament, Kisero admits that there is too much ‘heat’ on the court generated by well established sides like the KCB Bank, CBK, Co-Op Bank and defending champions Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC) who have veteran players with over 30-year experience in the tournament.

“I think so far, being our first time, we have done well in the competition. The fixtures are quite challenging but we are learning our lessons from the experienced opponents. I’m glad that we have not come out with zero goals in the whole tournament,” says Kisero.

The skipper says they will continue with their practices after the tournament to keep fit ahead of the 38th edition of the tourney next year.

They will also hunt for an experienced head coach to help them master the rules of the game which Kisero believes will be key in achieving their long-term goal which is to lift the netball trophy in the championships.

Kisero’s advice to anybody interested in embracing the sport is that discipline is key, she adds that the game is non-contact so one needs to be as flexible and as tactical as a cat to add value to their teams.