Kenya select side leaves for Amsterdam 7s

A select Kenya 7s side left for Holland on Thursday morning for the weekend’s Amsterdam 7s invitational tournament with fringe players hoping to make an impression on head coach Benjamin Ayimba and force their way to Rio 2016 reckoning.

Established in 1972, the Amsterdam event will have teams made up of players from national sides and the best professionals around.

Organisers are expecting this year’s edition to have a higher level of play with sevens becoming an Olympic Sport, starting with the Rio 2016 Games in Brazil with over 120 teams including Men’s Main, Shield and Cup competition, Ladies Main and Shield and a Veterans 10 a side tournament.

Samurai International has the best record with 12 victories and with Kenya 7s aces Oscar Ouma and Patrice Agunda among those who were in last year’s team that also won the Safaricom 7s in Nairobi.

Felix Ayange will make a comeback to Shujaa for the first time in two years while Billy Odhiambo and Frank Wanyama are the only regulars who took part in the 2015/16 HSBC World Series season that wrapped last weekend in London in the Amsterdam 7s squad.

Ayimba rested most of the players who returned from the closing legs of Series in Paris and London on Monday after a European tour that saw vice-captain, Collins Injera become the all-time try record scorer, stretching his record to 235 with seven five-pointers in the British capital.

Alex Olaba from Strathmore Leos, who was called in the last two series of the World Series also made it to the Shujaa squad.

Others in the team were, Herman Humwa (Quins), Felix Ayange (Quins),  Geoffrey Ominde (Nakuru), Jeff Oluoch (Homeboyz), Alvin Otieno (Homeboyz), Brad Owako (Mwamba),  Brian Tanga (Kabras), Humphrey Mulama (Homeboyz) and Collins Shikoli (Homeboyz),

The team will be under the management of head coach Ayimba assisted by Paul Murunga, Erick Ogweno as the Team Manager and  Anthony Maina as Physio.

“It has been a good season, started with a lot of challenges in the beginning. It has grown from strength to strength. I am only grateful we have been able to string everything together and make a decent side,” Ayimba said of the just concluded Series campaign where Kenya finished seventh on 98, two shy of beating their record haul of 99 from the 2012-13 season.

“It has worked well. We are working on the depth of our playing unit and this is actually the best way to do it. Having exposed the younger guys…it just gives them more confidence to be able to step up and do the business at the very top levels,” the tactician who returned to the helm of the team four years after being sacked at the beginning of the last season said.

Despite failing to beat USA 7s coach, Mike Friday’s standard, it was a season that saw the side write history by winning their first ever Main Cup title, claiming the Singapore 7s with a 30-7 stunning defeat of back-to-back Series champions, Fiji.

Kenya will play in Pool A of the competition with NRW Herren, Amstelveen RC and Dambusters in Holland.