Team for Special Olympics World Winter Games named

Golisano Health Leadership Award 2016 winner Edith Nthiga (left) recieves prestigeous award from Anne Mwalia (centre) assistant Director Quality Assurance and Standards Incharge of special needs in the ministry of education and Millicent Akoth member of special olympic Africa athlete input council in recognition of her outstanding leadership in special olympic Kenya Health programming and her ongoing committment to advancing inclusive health for people with interlectual disabilities at PCEA Kajiado North, Jan 13, 2017. [PHOTO: JONAH ONYANGO/STANDARD]

A team to defend floor hockey title at the forthcoming 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Graz, Austria, has been named.

Special Olympics Kenya (SOK) has announced a team of 12 players and five officials who will travel to Austria for the games slated for March 14-25.

The team was selected after rigorous trials held at Safaricom Stadium Kasarani in Nairobi that attracted players from across the country.

Just like in 2013 when Kenya won gold in their debut in Pyeongchang, South Korea, the country will only send the men’s team to Austria with great hopes of coming up with a women’s side in the future.

The selected squad is currently training at Muthengera Special School in Laikipia County under head coach Robert Kangi assisted by Andrew Mutua and Elizabeth Chesang. “The team will enter official residential camp on February 13 at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi. The camp will proceed until March 13 before we fly out to Austria on March 14,” SOK Country Director Susan Masila told FeverPitch.

Masila said the country only takes part in floor hockey in the games as the discipline is played indoors hence do not require ice as other sports such as cross country skiing, skating and snowboarding.

“We will consider taking part in floor ball in the future as this is another indoor game that is not played on ice.