Sinyolo hope sleeping giant will awaken after five years of wait

Sinyolo Girls hockey players Lucy Akinyi (left) and Penina Achieng train in their school court. [Michael Mute, Standard]

Kisumu County Secondary School hockey champions Sinyolo Girls High School and Kisumu Day High School will be keen correct some historical mistakes as they aim to qualify for the national games.

It has been five years of wait and to them, time has come to end the hiatus when they launch their push to win the Nyanza Region games that begin today in Homa Bay County.

Kisumu Day last reached the nationals in 2017 where they finished runner-up before proceeding to win the East Africa title after edging out St. Charles Lwanga Kasasa in Gulu, Uganda.

For Sinyolo, their dominance in national and East Africa also ended in 2017 when they won their fifth consecutive East Africa title adding to their 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 crowns.

The two schools swept aside their opponents in the county games played last weekend and are hoping the same mojo will guide them to the nationals.

Sinyolo Girls, who missed the 2018 national and East African games after leaving for France for a six-a-side invitational tournament and the 2019 games due to a ban, are confident of reclaiming lost glory despite being pooled against Siaya champions Nyamira Girls and Amaiko from Kisii.

Speaking to Standard Sports, Sinyolo coach Peter Wangla said they are ready for the stern test after their dominance in the county.

"We scored 10 goals in the county finals which proves our hunger for victory among the girls and we want to carry the same drive to Homa Bay. This is a young team that is undergoing some transformation and I believe they have what it takes to reclaim their lost glory," said Wangla.

Wangla, who takes over from coach Aloice Owino, who was credited for Sinyolo's East Africa success, said he has built a new team from scratch after two years of non-action due to Covid-19.

Owino joined Agenga Mixed Secondary School, in Nyatike, where he introduced hockey and will also be gracing the regional games. Agenga are in Group A alongside Andigo from Homa Bay.

Kisumu Day coach Booker Odhiambo, on the other hand, said he is confident of sweeping aside his opponents with their target set on the nationals despite being in a group of death that has Siaya's St Mary's Yala and Nduru Boys from Kisii.

"We narrowly lost to Homa Bay High in 2019 through penalty shoot-out and we are back to rectify that. Our goal is to get back to East Africa and we can only achieve that through qualifying for the nationals."

"Five years is a long time even if you take away the two years of Covid-19 and our objective is to awaken the sleeping giant," said Odhiambo.

In boys' football, battlegrounds have been drawn as 2016 East Africa champions Barding are set for a mouth-watering clash against their nemesis Kisumu Day after the two giants were pooled together in Group A alongside Kanga High School from Migori County.

Homa Bay's Agoro Sare, Nyamira's Gekendo and Gesabakwa from Kisii will headline Group B.

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