Kenya and Zambia renew rivalry

Jadidi Nzomo of Samsung in action against Twiga during the Plate final of the Bwana Beg polo cup at Manyatta polo club on December 17,2018.Behind him is his Rapael Nzomo.Photo:Kipsang Josaeph/Standard

Kenya and Zambia renew their rivalry as the Barclays Bank sponsored International Schools Under-18 Polo Championships kicks off at Manyatta Polo Club in Gilgil this afternoon.

Five matches will be played in the four chukka tournament, where each chukka lasts for seven and half minutes.

Kenya Polo Association will field teams in all the matches while the Zambians have just brought in a team of four players for the three-day competition.

Richard Stonewigg, the Manyatta Club captain, said they are ready for the showdown in which Kenya hope to reclaim the title they last won two years ago in Nairobi.

In the first match, Zambia takes on Kenya C ahead of the match pitting Kenya A against Kenya B.

Tomorrow, Zambians tackle Kenya B while the second match pits Kenya A and Kenya C.

On Sunday, Kenya A face off with Zambia in the last match of the tournament.

Harry Millar, handicap 1, leads the Zambian team. Other members of the team are Nunu Henderson (0.0), Tristan Clayton (-1.0) and Ewan Pinkney (0.0).

Kenya A will be captained by handicap 1.0 Ben Stonewigg, Harry Stichbury (0.5), Megan Griffiths (0.5) and Omwakwe Arungah (0.5).

Kenya B comprises Izzy Stichbury (-0.5), Tom Stonewigg (0.0), Jadini Nzomo (-1.0) and William Millar (0.0) with Kenya C comprising of Lochie Stichbury (-1.0), Amani Nzomo (-1.0), Toby Grammaticas (-0.5) and Tabu Mwamto (-1.0).

Kenya A long to snatch the title from defending champions Zambia who wore the crown in Lusaka last year.

“We are determined to revenge the defeat we suffered in Lusaka. We want to win at home. We are confident that we can make it since we have trained well. We have been playing a five chukka match every weekend,” Stonewigg, who has been a member of the team for the last two years, said.

Jonathan Stichbury, the former Nairobi Polo chairman and now a member of Manyatta Club, said captains of Manyatta, Northern Kenya and Nairobi Polo clubs selected the three Kenyan teams.