Western nursery for hockey clubs

By Roselyn Obala

For many years Western Province has dominated hockey at school level and is considered a breeding ground for many clubs in the national leagues.

However, there is not much to write home about. Ironically, Western Province is yet to be affiliated to the Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) and the fact that the only club in the region, Jaguars, joined top-flight hockey two years ago.

They feature in the men’s national league competition.

Lack of permanent teams and registered officials to run hockey are the major setback in the development of the sport in the province.

Faced with financial constrain, experienced players are forced to abandon the game after leaving school. The provincial secretary general Edwin Ongiyo has no kind words for KHU.

"The branch officials communicate on phone or at hotel meetings where we plan tournaments that we end up facilitating," he says.

Deaf ears

He adds that despite their requests for assistance from the union, their pleas have fallen on deaf ears. Ongiyo argues the revival of the game in the province depends on the goodwill of the union, sponsors and well-wishers.

"Approximately Sh5 million would revamp the once vibrant game in the region. The funds would be used to identify and nurture talent of school leavers," he explains.

He adds that without a solid base and a sound management team to suprevise players, it has become cumbersome to develop the sport.

The officials do not have a playing ground and often rely on Kakamega and Bungoma high schools for assistance.

The official notes the region has produced outstanding players during school championships, but when it comes to the national league, the story is different.

"We have about 20 committed players in this region. However, majority are now coaches at club level since there are no teams for them to play for," he said.

Icons like Peter Okova and Dan Ndolo have resorted to training the young. Clubs like Kakamega Saints only appear whenever there is a tournament.

"KHU should encourage clubs to join the league to balance the equation of hockey in the country," said Okova, a coach-cum-player at Jaguars.

"KHU should act fast to ensure there are at least two clubs from each province playing at the national level, lest the sport becomes a Nairobi affair," he said.

Okova said upcoming teams like Mumias and Kitale need support. The official said hockey was more active in the region when schools are engaged in term one championships.

Local players

Ongiyo acknowledges hockey equipment is expensive, adding local players have developed a fear the game was risky.

"Football is more dominant because it is cheap compared to hockey and enjoys overwhelming support across the board," he said.

Western has no women’s hockey team in the national league despite churning out hundreds of players from schools like St Cecilia Misikhu and Lugulu.

The official argues Kisumu Simba have established a base in Nyanza as a result of support from the Asian community, but that is not the case in Western province.