Pauline Naise: the wild talent of fast-rising football, hockey maverick

Very few sportsmen and women have what it takes to compete in two or more disciplines and perform extremely well. Those that do it are a cut above the rest and belong to a different and rare class of players.

Pauline Naise Amutebi belongs to this group of multi-talented players, who have managed to juggle football and hockey and shining in both. The 23-year-old is an international football-cum-hockey player, leaving many amazed at just how she is able to play the two technical sports.

She currently turns up for Kenya Hockey Union women’s Premier League side Amira Sailors and Soccer Queens in the FKF Women’s Premier League.

She has followed in the footsteps of some the great names in Kenya who excelled in more than one sport. The likes of J.J Masiga (rugby and football), Aasif Karim (tennis and cricket), Carl Tundo (motorsport and golf), Collins Omae (rugby and athletics) and Hellen Chemtai (athletics and hockey) have all walked this path.

Naise made headlines in September last year, when she was called up to the national women’s football team Harambee Starlets that was preparing for the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations that was held in Cameroon.

“Prior to the Starlets call up, not many people knew me as a footballer but football was actually my first love since my days in High School,” Naise reveals.

Her call up sent tongues wagging, with many wondering why a hockey player was being called up to the national football team.

“I couldn’t believe the news, it was such a humbling experience to be considered. You know how many people dream of such a moment and here I was about to experience it?” Naise recalls. She joined the Harambee Starlets camp and weeks later made the team that went to Morocco for a series of friendlies ahead of the Nations Cup.

“The camp was amazing, not like the hockey training where you go with all your gear. There, everything was provided and this was quite impressive.”

In Morocco, Naise made her debut for Starlets, coming on as a second half substitute in the team’s 8-1 win over Moroccan club Wydad Casablanca. She also played some part in Kenya’s second friendly against a second Moroccan club CAK Khanifra, which Starlets won 6-1.

“Just wearing the national team jersey was a proud moment, and making it to the pitch to play was the icing on the cake. I was grateful to the coach for giving me such an opportunity.”

She had been tipped to make the final team to Cameroon but a miscommunication breakdown saw her miss the final team. Starlets failed to qualify from their group after losing all their group matches on their debut appearance at the continental showpiece.

“It was not really a disappointment in failing to make the team, just being called up to the national team and managing to earn two caps was an achievement in itself, there were better players than me in the squad,” she adds.

LOVE FOR SPORT

Naise’s love for sport started at St Cecilia Misikhu Girls High School in Bungoma County. While in Form One and Form Two, she played football but a misunderstanding with the football coach would see her cross over to hockey.

“Before Form Three, I had not gone anywhere near a hockey pitch and I considered it a very dangerous sport and couldn’t possibly imagine myself playing the sport. I needed a place to keep fit before returning to football and the hockey team provided that opportunity for me. I learnt the sport from watching the other players and learning the game at my own pace helped a lot.”

In 2008, she made her hockey debut at annual tournament at St Anthony’s Kitale Day High School, where she finished as the top scorer. The same year, she led her school to a third place finish at the National Secondary School Games.

The following year, her school went all the way to the final but lost to Lwak Girls, but managed to win the East African title in Fort Portal, Uganda, with Naise again finishing top of the scoring charts.

“The awards and goals developed my love for the sport and that attracted scouts.”  After finishing secondary school education in 2009, Naise was spotted by United States International University-Africa (USIU) scouts during the annual Nabongolo tournament at St Anthony’s Kitale Day High School.

She impressed the scouts and they offered her a sports scholarship at the university where she was to pursue a degree in International Relations, while playing hockey in 2010. “I had an opportunity to play with players I looked up to like Lorraine Nondi and Barbara Simiyu.”

During the same year, she was called up to Kenya Under-16 hockey team and in 2011 at just 17 years, she made the senior team.

“Getting called up to the national team as a teenager was also another memorable moment, I felt unworthy considering I was up against some very experienced players in the team.  Her first international assignment was the 2012 Olympic qualifiers in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe where Kenya finished third behind the hosts and Ghana.

CAPTAINED THE TEAM

She scored one goal playing alongside Telkom’s veteran striker Jackline Mwangi. In 2012, she captained the Under-21 team at the Africa Hockey Championship held in South Africa where the team placed third.

“The experience I gained from these matches was immense for many of us who were still rookies and this helped build our confidence and exposed us,” she says.

In 2013, she was also in the Kenyan team that again finished third at the Africa Cup of Nations held in Nairobi. Kenya hammered Tanzania 11-0 to claim bronze, with Naise scoring four goals.

The following year was glorious one for Naise on the international scene. Kenya hosted the World League One Series in Nairobi, and the women’s hockey team put in one of their best performances. The team beat rivals Ghana 1-0 and hammered neighbours Tanzania 22-0 to qualify for the World League Two Series.

Naise was the top scorer of the competition with 13 goals, capping off a brilliant performance.

“Helping the team seal qualification to the next round still ranks as my best moment in hockey because it showed that we were on the right track as a team."

The same year, she helped her side USIU Spartans finish third in the league.

The next year proved a tough one for Naise, both on and off the pitch. A dismal performance by Kenya at the World League Two Series in Uruguay after missing the opening two matches saw Naise take a break from the sport at the end of that season.

“I felt like I was mentally drained and needed time off just reassess my options, I was hoping to help the team in Uruguay but that was not be and that made me feel like a failure.”

Later in the year, Naise broke her leg while playing football in a local tournament in Sigalagala, Kakamega County, and before the year ended, a move to play professionally in Germany fell through after she was denied a visa.

“For me, the deal was to go and play and also study at the same time but it did not materialise and that further put me down,” she added. In 2016, Naise joined Kakamega High School as the fitness coach for both the rugby 15s and hockey sides.

Kakamega’s 15s rugby team, nicknamed ‘the Barbarians’ went on to finish third at the national games held at Friends School Kamusinga but redeemed themselves at the East African secondary school games, winning gold. It is at her time in Kakamega during rehabilitation that she rekindled her love for football and joined Vihiga Leeds.

“So this one day I’m jogging in Sigalagala and I spot a group of ladies training for football. One of them happens to be a friend I had not seen for a long time and she convinced me to join the team. I decided to give it a try and she introduced me to the coach, Kenneth Bramley."

“Initially, the coach didn’t see much of a footballer in me because of my small body, and I had a pony tail and make-up. It wasn’t an image anyone would have for a footballer but I went on and trained with the team anyway.

She made her mark during a memorial match in honour of one of Leeds players. Naise scored a hat-trick to help the team win 3-1 and that saw her become a permanent fixture in the team. She went on to feature regularly for the side, helping them to fifth place finish in Kenya women’s football premier league.

It is during a league match where she was spotted by Starlets scouts and earned a call-up to the national team. But 2017 saw Naise return to hockey, signing for Amira Sailors after a move to Strathmore Scorpions fell through.

“It took some convincing for me to come back (to hockey) and the coach (Collins Asimba) was persistent and I eventually gave in and agreed to join,” Naise reveals.

And her impact has been remarkable, she is currently the team’s top scorer with 14 goals. The team is third in the league standings. She also moved from Vihiga Leeds to Nairobi-based Soccer Queens.

“So far the schedules for the two sports have not collided and balancing has proved to be just fine.

“I am glad to be back playing hockey, it was hard at first but I have adjusted pretty well and I want to help my team finish in the top two,” said Naise, who looks up to Naomi Van Ness of Holland.

A return to the national team came in last month’s Africa Cup of Nations in Ismailia, Egypt. Kenya men’s and women’s teams finished a disappointing fourth, missing out on qualification for next year’s World Cup.

Naise attributes the dismal display to poor preparations.

“Our opponents had their trainings in Europe, while we only played local sides, we have got to be better prepared for international competitions if we hope to succeed. She scored in Kenya’s 1-0 win against Nigeria.

Asked which of the two sports she enjoys more, the last born in a family of 10 says she loves football more than hockey. She is scheduled to go for trials in Bordeaux, France next year and remains optimistic that her future is in football.

“Football is my first love and I think it has the potential to get me far coupled with hard work and discipline. She calls for better treatment of sportsmen and women in Kenya, challenging federations to do more in developing sports.

Naise admires playing alongside Scorpions forward Gilly Okumu, fellow Amira player Yvonne Madowo and also singled out Jane Muragu (Scorpions), Caroline Guchu and Cynthia Onyango (both Telkom) as players she enjoys watching play.

Outside sports, Naise loves cooking, music, spoken word, and fashion. She is also a motivational speaker to high school students.

“I am generally a social person and I enjoy making a difference in people’s lives in the time given to me in this world,” she adds.