OPINION: Kenyan Hockey is on its deathbed and KHU is to blame
Mozzart Sport Kenya
1 feb 2023
English
Kenyan hockey has declined sharply from its historic heights — when the men's national team competed in seven Olympic Games and finished fourth at the 1971 World Cup — to its current lowly world rankings (57th for men, 37th for women). The author, Alvin Wesonga, lays blame squarely on the Kenya Hockey Union (KHU), alleging its current officials are in office illegally under both the Sports Act of 2013 and KHU's own constitution. Key grievances include: the deteriorated state of the City Park Stadium national hockey ground, which cannot host even basic international matches; the women's team repeatedly handing walkovers at major continental tournaments, including the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Ghana and the Hockey 5's World Cup Qualifiers in Egypt (December 2022); the unexplained dismissal of women's team assistant coach Barbara Simiyu, captain Rhoda Kuira, and top scorer Aurelia Opondo ahead of the Commonwealth Games, despite their role in qualifying; a lack of transparency and financial accountability that has repelled corporate sponsors; and a culture of silencing critics. The late hockey legend Parminder Singh Saini, who represented Kenya at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics, is cited as having condemned the KHU's failures before his death in 2021. The author warns that without urgent intervention, passion for the sport will die and future generations will be impossible to reach.