Big boys stamp authority
What you need to know:
- Things have pretty much gone according to the script as far this season’s Kenya Hockey Union Premier Leagues are concerned.
- There were few surprises as the first half of the 2017 season came to a close over the weekend.
- After five months of action, teams have the chance to take stock of their performance over the past 20 weeks as the various leagues take a one-month break to resume in September.
Things have pretty much gone according to the script as far this season’s Kenya Hockey Union Premier Leagues are concerned.
There were few surprises as the first half of the 2017 season came to a close over the weekend. After five months of action, teams have the chance to take stock of their performance over the past 20 weeks as the various leagues take a one-month break to resume in September.
In men’s Premier League, the usual suspects Kenya Police and Butali Sugar Warriors were tipped to challenge champions Strathmore University Gladiators for the crown, and they have lived up to the billing.
After 14 matches, it is Police who look like champions having won 13 out 14 matches, drawing once to open a seven point gap at the top. The law enforcers, who last won the title in 2013, have impressed especially with their set piece play, which has contributed a larger percentage of the 44 goals they have scored this season.
Police’s goals have come from all quarters in the team, something that has seen them create a winning mentality that was missing last season. They had head coach Kenneth Kaunda back in the technical bench in Sunday’s 5-1 demolition of Parkroad Badgers and the former international was satisfied with his team’s form.
“It is only halftime and we are in pole position, the real challenge is in replicating the same form in the second leg to be crowned champions,” Kaunda said.
Of their 13 wins, perhaps the most significant once had to be their 2-1 win over arch-rivals Butali Sugar Warriors. The result inflicted a psychological blow to the sugar millers as Police showed they the real deal.
Butali, dethroned last year, will need to show more consistency in the second leg if they are to claw back the seven point deficit. Champions Strathmore face a tall order in retaining their title after a dismal first half of the season.
The students have won only four times and sit eighth with 16 points, a massive 24 points behind Police. At the bottom, debutantes TUK have found the going tough and look destined to return to the second tier.
In women’s league, champions Telkom, on 30 points, have won all their 10 matches, scoring 70 goals and are yet to concede.
