Okwach prides in Kenya Sevens breakthrough

Athletes hope to make a good impression when given the first chance and Kenya Sevens youngster Geoffrey Okwach is no exception. 

An excellent performance on debut would go a long way in earning a player the faith of their coach and the 20-year-old KCB winger knows this only too well. 

"Playing for the national team is a great challenge and nobody really cares about your age. It's about performance and everyone expects you to help the team get positive results," says Okwach. 

"The only advantage the senior players have over us is experience but that is something which can be acquired with time," he adds. 

Okwach, who is a Law student at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, burst into the limelight at the Hamilton Sevens in January when he scored a try on his World Sevens Series debut as Kenya's Shujaa stunned South Africa 36-14 in New Zealand.

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It was Kenya's first Series win over the much fancied Blitzboks since 2015.

"I had a lot of confidence after the coach named me in the team. My target was to start scoring and I was very optimistic since the South African team was quite similar to the one we beat at the 2019 Safari Sevens," Okwach recalls. 

"I told myself that I must score and it was nice that the pass came from Injera (Collins) who happened to be my roommate during the tournament." 

Okwach, alongside Johnstone Olindi, Mwamba's Daniel Taabu and Vincent Onyalla, represent a crop of exciting youngsters who are slowly but steadily making a name for themselves in national colours. 

Okwach's passion for the game was fuelled by his university coach Simon Jawichre, a man he labels as a pioneer of age-grade rugby. 

"He (Jawichre) is not only concerned with rugby but he also ensures that one does the right thing regarding their education. He is a father in a way" Okwach says. 

Okwach, who has also had a stint with Kenya Rugby Union Championship side Northern Suburbs, is the only player representing all the male national teams - Kenya Sevens, Kenya 15s and under-20.

With sporting activities currently halted due to the coronavirus pandemic, Okwach has brought to the fore his writing talent by launching a rugby blog where he shares his experiences. 

"I have good writing skills and I have a lot of experiences in the game which I feel should be put in writing. A lot of things have happened in my rugby journey and these are the things I blog about." 

Okwach's brilliant perfomance for the under-20 team in 2019 earned him the Most Promising Player award at the Sports Personality of the Year Awards gala. 

He could, however, not attend the January ceremony due to Kenya Sevens duty in Hamilton. 

"I never knew such a category existed and my nomination came as a surprise. I was hopeful of winning since I had a successful year."