Lionesses eyeing core status in Hong Kong qualifiers

Kenya Lionesses head coach Kevin ‘Bling’ Wambua is banking on experience in his squad to the HSBC Sevens Series qualifiers in Hong Kong, and Commonwealth Games respectively.

The Kenyan ladies national sevens team Lionesses will kick off their HSBC Women’s Sevens World Series qualifiers with a Pool A clash against a lowly rated Papua New Guinea at 5.30 am on Thursday.

In the second game of the day Lionesses will tackle another ‘friendly’ side Mexico, at 8:04 am in a must win game before they play the mighty South Africans in a tough game at 11:00 am, the last one of the preliminary stage.

Skipper Philadelphia Olando of KCB, her deputy Sheila Chajira, Sinaida Aura, Janet Okello, Linet Moraa and Grace Odhiambo are some of Wambua’s players whose experience is expected to come in handy in their quest to make impact in the games.

The Lionesses reached the cup quarterfinal during last year’s qualifiers, failing to secure a core status for the 2018/19 season HSBC sevens series.

However, they reached reached the last eight at the 2017 Women’s Sevens World Series Qualifiers in Hong Kong thus booking a spot for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Lionesses squad to Hong Kong and Gold Coast

Philadelphia Olando (Captain), Sheila Chajira (Vice- Captain), Grace Adhiambo, Judith Auma, Sinaida Aura, Doreen Remour, Celestine Masinde, Linet Moraa, Rachel Mbogo, Janet Owino, Janet Okello, Camilla Cynthia, Stacy Awuor.

Women’s pool A:

Pool A

New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, Kenya.

Pool B

Australia, Fiji, England, Wales.