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The Kenya Men’s Hockey Team is set to participate in the inaugural FIH Men’s Hockey5s World Cup, scheduled to take place in Muscat, Oman.

The team secured their spot in the tournament after finishing third in the 1st Africa Hockey5s World Cup Qualifier held in Ismailia, Egypt in December 2022.

How Kenya qualified

They clinched the bronze medal with a 5-2 victory over Zambia. Alongside Kenya, Egypt and Nigeria also qualified for the Hockey5s World Cup by finishing in the top three positions. Egypt emerged as the champions by defeating Nigeria 9-2 in the final.

The Kenyan team, coached by Michael Malungu, has been drawn into Pool C for the FIH Men’s Hockey5s World Cup, alongside Australia, New Zealand, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Coach Michael Malungu has finalized his squad for the campaign, including top scorer Bethuel Masambu, who played a crucial role in Kenya’s qualification during the 2022 qualifiers in Egypt.

Kenya’s squad

Other notable players in the squad include Ivan Ludiali, Moses Mungai, and Danstone Wabwire, each contributing with two goals in the 2022 qualifiers.

The Hockey5s World Cup is scheduled to run from January 28 to 31, 2024. After the conclusion of the pool stage, the top two teams from each pool will advance to the quarterfinals, competing for the title of the first-ever Hockey5s World Champions.

The Kenya national hockey men’s team to the FIH Hockey 5s World cup leaves the country over the weekend. The traveling contingent includes 10 players and 5 officials.

All the best team Kenya on the maiden Hockey5s World Cup!https://t.co/pk4uxvbT6I pic.twitter.com/gImn4id6Ny

— Kenya Hockey Union (@FieldhockeyKE) January 20, 2024

Meanwhile, the bottom two teams will have the opportunity to compete for the new ‘Challenger Trophy,’ introduced to encourage all participating teams.

This ensures that all 16 teams, including those making their debut – Fiji, Jamaica, Oman, Paraguay, Thailand, and Zambia – will have a chance for success, even if they don’t progress to the quarterfinals.