Women’s team flops in African Games in a year to forget for Kenya

There is nothing to write home about in the ending year as far as the performance of the national handball teams is concerned.

While the women’s national team featured in two tournaments - the African Games qualifiers in Uganda in April and the African Games in Morocco where Kenya performed poorly - their male counterparts were dormant.

Women’s team, coached by Jack Ochieng, competed in the African Games qualifiers and had lost to Uganda in its first match. The team was later disqualified for failing to pay participation fee on time. Kenya appealed to African Handball Confederation (CAHB) and the decision was overturned.

CAHB subsequently gave Kenya and Uganda the greenlight to compete in the African Games. And Kenya, who were drawn in Pool “B” alongside Uganda, Cameroon, Algeria, Tunisia and Senegal, failed to sparkle.

Kenya arrived late and did not play Uganda in the tournament’s opener on August 20. The team lost all the remaining pool matches.

There was no qualifiers for the men as the slot was awarded to Africa champions Egypt. It remains to be seen whether men’s team will succeed where women’s team failed when they compete in the January 15 to 25 African qualifiers for the Olympics.

The Olympics qualifiers, to be held in Tunisia, will also double up as the qualifiers for 2021 World Championships. The top six teams will compete in the World Championships, to be hosted by Egypt.

Kenya men's coach Peter Mwathi has challenged the team to seize the chance and qualify for both events.

"This is a case of killing two birds with one stone and we have to get at least one bird. The teams we are going to face in the 10-day event are tough but we are training hard to leave a mark at the event," he said. He added: “It takes time for men’s team to feature in the events and this is a perfect chance for them to prove their potential."

While national struggled, Nairobi Water saved the country’s blushes by retaining the East and Central African Club Championship title in Kigali.

Nairobi Water beat Rwanda University and Rwanda Winners in a low-key tournament that attracted only three clubs in the women’s category.

National Cereals and Produce Board (men and women), Kenya Defence Forces (men), Black Mamba (men) and Strathmore University (men) teams failed to honour the tournament, citing financial constraints among other reasons.

In the Kenya Handball Federation national league level, Nairobi Water continued their dominance, retaining the title they first won in 2013.

NCPB and KDF have always been good challengers in the early stages of the season but faded as the league gathered momentum, thus leaving Nairobi Water to easily run away with the title.

In the men's category, NCPB snatched the title from defending champions Black Mamba. KDF had won the trophy in 2017, signalling tough competition in the league.

KHF Fixtures Secretary Charles Omondi is happy with the level of competition.

“If only we could experience the same competition we are having in the men’s national league in the ladies category, we could be in a better place.”
Nairobi Water coach Ochieng echoed Omondi’s sentiments.

“Nairobi Water has no worthy opponents locally and those that try to measure up to us fade along the way. That’s why we must try as much as we can to feature in the Africa Clubs Championship where we can get good competition and gauge our performance at the international level,” he said.