Kisumu's Lakers bolsters squad ahead of hockey season
Lakers Hockey Club team manager John Paul Otieno (left) presents a trophy to Kisumu County Executive Committee (CEC) member for Sports Achie Alai at a past function. PHOTO | VICTOR OTIENO |
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The new acquisitions include defenders Stephanie Nicole, Chery Muhatia, Judith Abayo and Edna Vallery. Others are Sumbwa Ongoche, Millicent Adhiambo and Roseline Oranga (all midfielders), Charlene Sydney, Angela Akelo and Chepkemoi Cheruiyot (strikers).
The team manager said they intend to take part in several local tournaments to gauge the new players and prepare them for the league which is expected to kick off in March.
Lakers was formed in 2017 and made debut in the second division last year.
Lakers Hockey Club has confirmed the signing of ten new players ahead of their debut in the Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) Premier League.
The new acquisitions include defenders Stephanie Nicole, Chery Muhatia, Judith Abayo and Edna Vallery. Others are Sumbwa Ongoche, Millicent Adhiambo and Roseline Oranga (all midfielders), Charlene Sydney, Angela Akelo and Chepkemoi Cheruiyot (strikers).
Lakers team manager John Paul Otieno said that the majority of the new signings are students from some of the top hockey playing schools in the region such as Sinyolo, Nyamira, Tigoi, Kisumu Girls and St Teresa’s.
The ten new signings bring the total number of players at the club to 25 the team will use in the battle for the silverware in the top tier league. They released six players at the close of last season.
Otieno expressed confidence in the new signings saying they have played a great role in their respective school’s top performance. “They are fresh players who are very talented and have been behind their schools' good performance. We expect them to deliver,” said Otieno, reiterating his earlier statement that the team’s target is to beat the indomitable Telkom.
The team manager said they intend to take part in several local tournaments to gauge the new players and prepare them for the league which is expected to kick off in March.
The Kisumu based club clinched a ticket to this year’s KHU’s league after finishing second in the 2018 women’s Super League. They finished the season with 22 points, three behind division’s winners, Kenyatta University.
Lakers was formed in 2017 and made debut in the second division last year. It becomes the second women's hockey team in the lakeside city after the defunct Chelsea that was disbanded in 2000.
