National hockey team changes tack ahead of Games

Kenya’s national women’s hockey team is experimenting on different systems ahead of a debut at the Commonwealth Games slated for July 28 – August 8 in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

Head coach Mesharck Senge says since Kenya knows the opponents they will be facing, that background offers the team an opportunity to intensify training at City Park Nairobi in preparation for the Birmingham challenge.

“We are currently working on adjusting into systems that will get us results because we realise the kind of opposition we are going to face is not the one we are used to playing in Africa. I think our training is going on as per our plans and moving forward we will test with different opposition for us to get even better,” disclosed Senge.

Kenya will open her campaign July 29 against defending champions New Zealand, before taking on 2014 winners Australia then play Scotland and wrap up with an all-African affair against South Africa. Women’s hockey being played from July 29 to August 7 when the final will be played.

The Kenyan ladies christened Blades bagged bronze at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations despite missing one match against hosts Ghana.