Ice Hockey: Why Canadian and American professional ice hockey players are in the country to inspire Kenya Ice Lionesses

Kenyan youth team pose for a photo with Canadian and American pro ice hockey players at the Panari Ice Rink in Nairobi on Saturday. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Professional ice hockey players from Canada and USA are in the country to take women’s ice hockey in Kenya to the next level.

They are taking the Kenya women’s senior national team through paces involving stick handling, skating, passes, forward turns, backward turns, quick stops among others.

They are also mentoring the youth and the Kenya Ice Lionesses to pursue education, apart from venturing into the rare sport in Kenya.

Led by Sarah Thompson, a former Napean Junior Wildcats forward and Maureen Murphy, an attacker for Las Vegas in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), the visitors are in a one-week mission to inspire and motivate the Kenya women’s ice hockey team, the Kenya Ice Lionesses at the Panari Ice Rink in Nairobi.

Through her Sticks Together initiative, Thompson and her friends have already paid for the Kenya Ice Lionesses training ground and match venues at Panari for the next nine months.

“The only way to be a great ice hockey player is to be a good skater, that’s why we are here, to take the players through the sport basics, of course with the help of the Kenya Federation of Ice Sports (KEFIS),” 24-year-old Thompson told Standard Sports.

“We have also brought for the girls, through the federation, high end training gear including hockey sticks, helmets, gloves, t-shirts, hoodies among others,” noted Thompson who represented Canada at the European World Ice Hockey Championship at a tender age of 17.

Thompson, whose Sticks Together initiative has graced other nations like Argentina, South Africa and Philippines, believes Kenya has great potential to grow in the sport, with good funding and infrastructure.

“Hockey is the reason I have experienced so much in my life. I feel I owe so much to the sport. 

"That’s why we are in Kenya to use the game to bring women together, empower them and grant them more opportunities to explore and take their lives to the next level,” the former Syracuse University player highlighted.

Thompson says she is passionate to work with women players in Kenya because of the kind gesture that has been extended to the same gender in Canada and USA that has seen the level of the sport grow in the two nations.

“If women in Kenya practice and play the game more, they will be on par with their male counterparts in the sport, and that’s where we are focused to head,” she says.

Thompson has assured that her mission is not just a one off Kenya, but a vision that will see her return to the country many times to promote women’s ice hockey and their education.

“Through this beautiful sport, I was able to land on a scholarship, leave Canada for the US, to play and pursue my degree and masters at the same time.

“We already have two scholarships for Kenyan girls every year, where they can come to Canada to learn, explore and expand their horizon in the sport.

“I’m also here to tell them that there are also good scholarship opportunities in the USA which they can apply to go to school fully free while at the same time playing the game.”

According to Thompson, for one to be a formidable player in the sport, they have to have passion and dedication. They should get into the ice rink everyday, to give it their all. They have to work really hard for it to pay off.

Kenya Ice Lionesses captain Hanan Eunice Ali has hailed the Sticks Together initiative saying it is helping the Kenyan squad to have grit in the game.

“By paying for us the nine months fees at Panari, we will not only train to be fit, but we will be competent in skills that will give us an edge over our opponents,” Ali said while thanking Thompson for the kind gesture toward the national team team.

“We have so far learnt leadership skills from the visitors, tactical approaches of the game and communication values. 

"We hope to create more networking and connections opportunities with them in the remaining days that they’ll be here to mentor us,” Ali projected.

Ali, who feels honoured to skipper and steer the Kenya national team, is definitely a multitalented player who, apart from ice hockey, also takes part in skating, roll ball, roller hockey and curling-which she represented Kenya at the World Championships in Canada in 2023.

Ali was in Canada last year on a fully paid 10 days ice hockey trip, together with Kenya Ice Lionesses players Chumbana Likiza and Carol Joseph, where they met and interacted and fellowshipped with other PWHL players.

 

Ice Hockey: Why Canadian and American professional ice hockey players are in the country to inspire Kenya Ice Lionesses

Ochieng Oyugi

Professional ice hockey players from Canada and USA are in the country to take women’s ice hockey in Kenya to the next level.

Led by Sarah Thompson, a former Napean Junior Wildcats forward and Maureen Murphy, an attacker for Las Vegas in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), the visitors are in a one-week mission to inspire and motivate the Kenya women’s ice hockey team, the Kenya Ice Lionesses at the Panari Ice Rink in Nairobi.

They are taking the Kenya women’s senior national team through paces involving stick handling, skating, passes, forward turns, backward turns, quick stops among others.

They are also mentoring the youth and the Kenya Ice Lionesses to pursue education, apart from venturing into the rare sport in Kenya.

Through her Sticks Together initiative, Thompson and her friends have already paid for the Kenya Ice Lionesses training ground and match venues at Panari for the next nine months.

“The only way to be a great ice hockey player is to be a good skater, that’s why we are here, to take the players through the sport basics, of course with the help of the Kenya Federation of Ice Sports (KEFIS),” 24-year-old Thompson told Standard Sports.

“We have also brought for the girls, through the federation, high end training gear including hockey sticks, helmets, gloves, t-shirts, hoodies among others,” noted Thompson who represented Canada at the European World Ice Hockey Championship at a tender age of 17.

Thompson, whose Sticks Together initiative has graced other nations like Argentina, South Africa and Philippines, believes Kenya has great potential to grow in the sport, with good funding and infrastructure.

“Hockey is the reason I have experienced so much in my life. I feel I owe so much to the sport. 

"That’s why we are in Kenya to use the game to bring women together, empower them and grant them more opportunities to explore and take their lives to the next level,” the former Syracuse University player highlighted.

Thompson says she is passionate to work with women players in Kenya because of the kind gesture that has been extended to the same gender in Canada and USA that has seen the level of the sport grow in the two nations.

“If women in Kenya practice and play the game more, they will be on par with their male counterparts in the sport, and that’s where we are focused to head,” she says.

Thompson has assured that her mission is not just a one off Kenya, but a vision that will see her return to the country many times to promote women’s ice hockey and their education.

“Through this beautiful sport, I was able to land on a scholarship, leave Canada for the US, to play and pursue my degree and masters at the same time.

“We already have two scholarships for Kenyan girls every year, where they can come to Canada to learn, explore and expand their horizon in the sport.

“I’m also here to tell them that there are also good scholarship opportunities in the USA which they can apply to go to school fully free while at the same time playing the game.”

According to Thompson, for one to be a formidable player in the sport, they have to have passion and dedication. They should get into the ice rink everyday, to give it their all. They have to work really hard for it to pay off.

Kenya Ice Lionesses captain Hanan Eunice Ali has hailed the Sticks Together initiative saying it is helping the Kenyan squad to have grit in the game.

“By paying for us the nine months fees at Panari, we will not only train to be fit, but we will be competent in skills that will give us an edge over our opponents,” Ali said while thanking Thompson for the kind gesture toward the national team team.

“We have so far learnt leadership skills from the visitors, tactical approaches of the game and communication values. 

"We hope to create more networking and connections opportunities with them in the remaining days that they’ll be here to mentor us,” Ali projected.

Ali, who feels honoured to skipper and steer the Kenya national team, is definitely a multitalented player who, apart from ice hockey, also takes part in skating, roll ball, roller hockey and curling-which she represented Kenya at the World Championships in Canada in 2023.

Ali was in Canada last year on a fully paid 10 days ice hockey trip, together with Kenya Ice Lionesses players Chumbana Likiza and Carol Joseph, where they met and interacted and fellowshipped with other PWHL players.