Kenya women’s hockey team, Blades are in danger of ending their debut appearance at the Commonwealth Games without scoring a single goal after enduring another drubbing at the University of Birmingham Hockey Centre yesterday.
Blades who have turned to be the tournament’s whipping side, were thrashed 11-0 by Scotland to extend their losing streak by huge margins.
The Kenyan girls struggled once again against a more fluid and experienced Scotland, conceding double digit goals for the second time in less than four days, having lost 16-0 to New Zealand in their first match of the campaign on Friday before losing 8-0 to Australia on Saturday.
The Blades had hoped for an improved performance to bow out on a high, but they found themselves trailing 6-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Charlotte Watson, Sarah Jamieson and Fiona Burnet scored twice each while Jenifer Eadie, Louise Campbell, Amy Kostello, Katie Robertson and Bronwyn Shields sounded the board once each.
Head coach Jackie Mwangi says with improved facilities, Kenya might be able to bridge the huge gap in the sport.
“We simply need to put more resources into the game starting with the basics like nutrition and supplement for the players,” said Mwangi.
“These girls need gym work if we are to take the game to the next level.”
Mwangi said that proper infrastructure has to be put in place and not the jokes that are the City Park Stadium among other places.
Kenya will complete their group matches with a clash against African giants South Africa today at 4pm Kenyan time hoping for an improved performance.
Meanwhile, top athletes from The Gambia risk being unable to compete at the Commonwealth Games because a visa hold-up means they are stuck in France.
The six athletes, including one of its most successful sprinters, Gina Bass, have been training in Paris for a year.
Some of the athletes are due to compete as soon as Tuesday and risk missing the competition as they are not yet allowed to enter the UK.
The Home Office said the applications are being processed.
“They’re some of our best athletes,” said The Gambian minister for sport, Bakary Badjie.
They had been set to take part in the opening ceremony in Birmingham last week.
Mr Badjie said The Gambian government was unclear why the visas had not been approved as the athletes had applied on time and members of the delegation who travelled from The Gambia had made it to Birmingham.
“We were hoping they would be here for the opening ceremony,” he said. “One was meant to be our flag bearer.
“They’ve been in a foreign country training for an event that they’re not told they may not be at,” he said. “We expect them to be stressed.”
