Sheng gave Kenya 7s team the rugby cup

 France's Virimi Vakatawa (bottom) tackles Kenya's Collins Injera (top) during their cup quarter-final match at the Singapore Sevens rugby tournament Photo: AFP

I must congratulate our Rugby Sevens team for making history by winning the Main Cup in Singapore lasy week.

It is only right that we applaud Coach Benjamin Ayimba who has proved that perseverance breeds success.

I am not your typical loyal rugby fan, but I couldn’t help watching the final on TV after being bombarded by friends on social media.

My last serious encounter with rugby was during our Mean Machine days when the likes of Tim Githuku, Evans Vitisia, David Madara, Andrew Mwenesi, Omondi Magunga, Ken Nyangaga, Musalia Mudavadi, Pritt Nyandatt and Omari Nyakundi were stars — the 15-a-side Rugby not the fancy 7-aside. Most of the players were products of former ‘whites only schools’ like Rift Valley Academy, Lenana and Nairobi School.

Back to Singapore.

Did you hear the boys speak in Sheng during the break? The captain said, “Mazee, hii tunafanyia country, bidii watu wangu!” The game of rugby has surely volved — from the so called ‘Cinderella schools’ to the ordinary common man’s son. Humphrey Kayange, his brother Collins Injera attended provincial schools, but look how far they have inspired Kenya.

And yes, the language of sports has evolved with time.

I couldn’t help but revisit my last encounter with Tobias ‘Jua Kali’ Ochola, arguably Kenya’s hard man during his days as Harambee Stars right back.

Ochola told me about his two biggest challenges when he arrived in Nairobi in 1988; the fast paced English spoken by then Gor Mahia coach Len Julians and the Kiswahili spoken by his team mates.

He had to overcome the two ‘opponnents’ after joining K’Ogalo from Kisumu Hot Stars. Ochola could not comprehend some instructions from Coach Julians. Then there was that annoying Sheng language — it was in effect ‘lugha ya boli mtaani’. Ochola was lost. He had no choice but to learn fast. He did.

Way back in the 1970s, 80s and early 90s, Kisumu Boys were a force in hockey. They won all the trophies that came their way with almost half the team representing Kenya in international tournaments including the Commonwealth and Olympic Games. Strangely, they would switch to Dholuo when playing against opponents. The players, including Kisumu-born Asians, the likes of Parminder Singh Kake, could comprehend the hockey lingo.

If you ask our athletes, they will tell you that whenever they are competing abroad, they sometimes switch to the ‘Kalenjin’ language as they wear out opponents on the track. The lingo allows them to execute certain tactics against rivals, say the Ethiopians.

In boxing, the unofficial language is Sheng. Since most boxers originated from town slums or Eastlands, they have their own vocabulary that is understood by only those in their circles. From the ringside, the coach can shout instructions that only Eastlanders may understand. Words like: ‘usiangushe guard, maliza twende, ashalewa’ (don’t let your guard down, finish quickly he is already dizzy).

Football also has its own lingo. Although the language of soccer can be termed universal, in many countries, coaches who do not speak local languages have always had trouble communicating with players.

Fair enough English is Kenya’s official language, but for a Kenyan with a rural background, initially it can be quite a nightmare communicating with a native Englishman.

Coaches from the Francophone countries have always had it rough in Anglophone teams. Henri Michel had to use a translator during his short stint with Harambee Stars.

Sheng has spread so much that even teams from the rural areas use it as their common denominator. I think some even referees understand the language.

Because our rugby sevens team uses Kiswahili as their field language, it shows clearly that the Kenya Rugby Union has done well in spreading the game beyond Nairobi. No wonder the 2016 Secondary Schools national rugby finals championship was played between Bungoma High School and Moi Sirgoi.

The playoff was between Kakamega High School and Upper Hill High School. The overall champions are Bungoma High School. As the Cinderella Schools faded from school’s rugby, Sheng quietly became the language of communication all the way to Singapore!