9 January 2008
The Kenyan seven-a-side team has had to adjust their training schedule to accommodate time lost during the violence that rocked the country after the General Elections on December 27.
The team only resumed training last Saturday. Oscar Osir, the team manager vividly captured the hardships. “We might add a day or two in between depending of course on prevailing circumstances. Our priority has been for the safety of the players and we’ve had no choice but to resort to personal training. At some point we sent a training a home programme via sms, we’ve no choice but to do our best to keep at it because out there the opposition will be ruthless against us,” explained Osir.
Two players Humphrey Kayange and Collins Injera who had travelled to Western Kenya for the Christmas holidays could not make it back to Nairobi in time until the violence subsided enough. Four players who are based outside Nairobi – Edwin and Cyprian Shimenga, Gibson Weru and Mathew Musita – were unaware of the training at the weekend.
Coach Benjamin Ayimba remained upbeat. “We just have to do the best that we can. Our players are mentally hard and I am confident we shall name a strong team,” he said. A session has been arranged for Wednesday at the Rugby Football Union of East Africa ground and there are talks of adding extra sessions to cover for the time lost.
The Kenyan team are preparing for the next two tournaments of the International Rugby Board Sevens World Series in Wellington, New Zealand on February 1 and 2 at the 35,000-seater Westpac Stadium and at Petco Park in San Diego USA on February 9 and 10.
One of the alternate captains Innocent Simiyu said the team’s management was putting their heads together to forge ahead. At the moment, there are no plans for the team to train outside the country. Allan Onyango and Brian Nyikuli who have been busy at work and college joined the rest of the players at training on Saturday.
The national team will have a scheduled camp at Brook house School for the next two weekends. In the meantime, Richard Omwela, the Kenya Rugby Football Union chairman has received encouragement from rugby Unions in Tanzania, Swaziland, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia and Uganda. “They are concerned because Kenya is a core team in the IRB Sevens World Series,” he said. “We will have to intensify the weekend sessions to benefit up-country players.”
On a light note, Omwela added that the politicians should borrow a leaf from the rugby players who after a bruising match on the field hug and shake hands at the end.