Kenya: Armed Forces face Wazalendo as hockey action kicks off  x2
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| Africa |
January 28, 2005 
East African Standard, Kenya
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By Oscar Pilipili
The Kenya Hockey Union (KHU), 2005 calendar of events opens today with eight matches lined up at various venues across the country.
Top on the card is a clash between national champions Armed Forces who open their campaign against Wazalendo at Aryan Sports Club tomorrow.
The season’s opener, however, will be the national league men’s duel between Nairobi Institute and newly promoted Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) also at Aryan today from 2.15pm.
United States International University (USIU), play Impala in the first national women’s league match at Ruaraka from 2.15pm.
KHU chairman, Resham Bains yesterday confirmed the league would bully off today as early planned.
While releasing the 2005 programme, Bains said the league is the biggest ever as it will comprise 24 teams.
The teams include eight in the men’s only premier league and the same number in both the national men and women’s league.
The premier league, to involve only men, is composed of Armed Forces, Kenya Police, Wazalendo, Simba Union, Karate Axiom, Kisumu Simba, Nakuru Athletics and Mombasa Institute.
Men’s national league has United States International University (USIU), Nairobi Gymkhana, Parkroad, Nairobi Institute, JKUAT, Green Sharks, Parklands Sports Club and Mvita XI.
National champions, Telkom Kenya will compete in the national women’s league alongside Sliders, Blue Eaglets, Armed Forces, Vikings, Impala, USIU and Mombasa Sports Club.
Bains said the leagues would be played on two legs with the first ending in March.
He said the leagues would break in April to allow national knock out tournament to be held in all provinces. The second leg, to start later in May/June, is scheduled to end in August.
Bains also revealed that Kenya had applied to the continental body requesting to host the African Clubs Championships in September.
He expressed need for Kenya to enter in as many international events as possible saying the country has been out of top-flight hockey for a long time.
In a bid to return Kenya hockey to its original roots, Bains said the union would also enter teams in the African Cup of Nations to be held in South Africa later in the year.
Meanwhile, Parklands Sports Club has replaced bankrupt Mombasa Sports Club men in the national league, secretary Peter Kiruma confirmed yesterday.
Today’s fixtures: Men: Nairobi Institute v. JKUAT (Aryan, 2.15pm), Karate Axiom v. Kenya Police (Aryan, 4pm); Women: USIU v. Impala (Ruaraka, 2.15pm), Sliders v. Vikings (Ruaraka, 4pm). Tomorrow: Men: Parkroad v. Nairobi Gymkhana (Aryan, 2.15pm), Armed Forces v. Wazalendo (Aryan 4pm); Women: Telkom v. Blue Eaglets (Ruaraka, 2.15pm), USIU v. Green Sharks (Ruaraka, 4pm).
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