Telkom draw rivals Sliders in African hockey championship

Defending African women hockey club champions national titleholders Orange Telkom have been drawn against compatriots Sliders in Group A of the 27th edition of the tournament that starts at City Park Grounds in Nairobi on Saturday.

Telkom who won the national title for a record 19th time last year are eyeing a historic fifth continental crown in succession.

“It’s not easy to retain the number one position since guys are working hard to dethrone us and as you know retaining number one is difficult,” Telkom coach Joseph Openda said.

Telkom will also play Egyptian champions Sharkia, Weatherhead of Uganda and El-raufai Babes of Nigeria besides their local derby in the group stages of the tournament.

“Sliders and the Nigerians will be big games but our aim is to do the double by winning the tournament at home and later in the year, away,” the long-serving Telkom coach, after the group stage draw.

The tournament that was rescheduled from last November after Zimbabwe withdrew from hosting the event has attracted 19 teams- ten men and nine women- with the host nation represented by Kenya Police and Butali Warriors in the men’s competition.

Police are also in Group A alongside Eastern Company of Egypt, Exchequers of Ghana as well as Wananchi and Weatherhead  from Uganda. Group B will see Butali tackle Sharkia of Egypt, Nijja Flickers of Nigeria and Ghana Police.

Speaking on the eve of the tournament on Friday, Kenya Hockey Union Chairman Nashion Randiek charged the local sides are ready to clinch the men and women double.

“If the games were to start yester night, we could have rolled off! We are well prepared,” the Union boss stressed.

The country is hosting the continental showpiece for the third time having held the tournament in 2007 and 2009.

Randiek added Police and Butali have been participating in the National Hockey League before the festive season as part of the preparation for this tournament with the latter acquiring a foreign coach from Holland to assist them.

“The Government through the Ministry of Sports have been our supporters in the past but this time round they’ve not given us anything because of the just concluded Olympics. They spent most of the money to send the national teams to the Olympics,” Randiek added.

Kenya, Uganda and Ghana have four teams each, three each from Nigeria and Egypt and a side from Tanzania.

-Additional reporting by Violah Cheronoh

MEN

Pool A

• Eastern company (Egypt)
• Exchequers (Ghana)
• Kenya police (Kenya)
• Wananchi (Uganda)
• Weatherhead (Uganda)

Pool B

• Sharkia (Egypt)
• Niger flickers (Nigeria)
• Butali warriors (Kenya)
• Ghana police (Ghana)

WOMEN

Pool A

• Orange Telkom (Kenya)
• Sharkia (Egypt)
• Weatherhead women (Uganda)
• Sliders (Kenya)
• El-raufai Babes (Nigeria)

Pool B

• Ghana police (Ghana)
• Ghana Revenue Authority (Ghana)
• Heartland Flicker (Nigeria)
• Tanzania club (Tanzania)
• Wananchi Women (Uganda)