Warriors and Strathmore carry the day in Nakuru Open

Butali Warriors edged Holden Hockey Club 2-1 to emerge the winners of Nakuru Open tournament while Strathmore (Green) saw off USIU B 2-0 to lift the women’s trophy.

The tournament is an annual event held since 2015 in memory of former Kenya international and Telkom Orange hockey player Betty Chebet Tioni who passed on after a short illness ata  Nakuru hospital in February 2014.

Tioni played for the national team and Telkom since 1993. She was at the centre stage when Telkom edged out Strathmore 2-0 in the final of the Africa Cup Club championships on January 19 2014 in Kampala.

The two-day tournament saw massive turnout of hockey teams from across the Kenya Hockey Premier League to the lowest cadre of the game.

Some 24 men teams and 14 women teams converged at the Greensteds International School for the event.

Holden finished second in Pool A to book a quarter final spot where they met Jaguars B winning 3-0 while Butali Warriors who finished second in Pool B met FSK at the quarters winning 2-1 to proceed to the semis.

The current Kenya Hockey Union Premier League leaders  Butali Warriors whipped Strathmore B 3-0 to storm the final where they prevailed beating Holden 1-0.

In the women’s category, Strathmore University(Orange)  failed to sail to the finals after they lost 2-1 to USIU B while their other team, Strathmore (Green)won by a similar margin against USIU A and went on to win the final against USIU B.

The events welfare person George Ambeyi hailed the turn out terming it as “the biggest in the history of the tournament” adding that their aim is to keep the competition alive.

“The 2017 turnout was low due to the elections.  In 2018 we had 17 teams for men and seven ladies teams and this year we had the biggest turn out ever.”

“Our aim is to make sure the tournament runs each and every year because it is the only hockey tournament in Kenya that is running apart from SANA in Mombasa,”said Ambeyi.

Women Results

USIU B 2-1 Strathmore Orange (Semi Final)

USIU A 1-2 Strathmore Green (Semi-Finals)

USIU A 2-0 Strathmore Orange (Playoffs)

USIU B 0-2 Strathmore Green (Final)

Men Results

USIU Mashujaa 0-1 Holden (Semifinals)

Strathmore B 0-3 Warriors (Semifinals)

Strathmore B 2-1 USIU Mashujaa (Playoffs)

Holden 1-3 Warriors (Final)

Tags:

Butali warriors strathmore Holden Hockey Club Nakuru Open

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