Openda hangs up Telkom call: Long-serving coach Jos walks away from hockey queens

Jos Openda coach telkom orange hockey team

Tactician has guided side to numerous victories in national and Africa women Club championships

Long-serving Telkom head coach Jos Openda has called it quits after leading the African hockey queens to numerous victories in the Africa Women Club championships.

It is a befitting ending for Openda, who last month led Telkom to their 21st domestic league title.

Telkom won their 10th Africa Club title in Nigeria last month after they recaptured the continental title they had lost in 2017 to Ghana Revenue Authority.

Openda guided the queens to a record 21st Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) women’s Premier League title with an emphatic 7-0 win over Vikings.

Telkom Kenya players and coach Jos Openda celebrate winning the team of the year award during the 15th edition of Soya awards held at Fort Jesus in Mombasa on January 11, 2019. Photo/Stafford Ondego/www.sportpicha.com

The champions enjoyed a seven-point lead against second-placed Strathmore University.

“I have done a lot for Telkom and it is my time to hand over leadership to a new and energetic coach,” said Openda in an interview during last Friday’s Safaricom Sports Personality of the Year (Soya) awards at Fort Jesus, in Mombasa.

“Winning the domestic league for 21 years is enough for me to move on to better things,” said Openda, hinting that he may trade hockey sticks and begin coaching football.

“Hockey has 11 players, same as football and it would not be difficult for me to move from hockey to football. You never know, I might be the next Gor Mahia or AFC Leopards coach,” joked Openda.

The tactician tipped four members of his technical bench members, whom he did not name, to succeed him.

“My focus in 2018 was to win both domestic and Africa Women Club championships, which I did and my turn now is to hand over the team to a new coach, who will guide the queens to another level. Pick from where I have left and make the team even better,” he said.

“I have been grooming my successor and I have potential ladies within the technical bench who will fill the position.”

The award-winning coach guided Telkom to victory in the 2018 Soya awards, where they bagged the women team of the year.

Openda was third in the coach of the year awards.