Hockey: Routine wins for title chasers Wananchi, Weatherhead in league

Rampaging Victory. Weatherhead rolled over Historicals 13-0 over the weekend. PHOTO BY AMINAH BABIRYE

Annet Awat scored her first goal of the women’s National Hockey League (NHL) as Rhinos beat Weatherhead 1-0 on Sunday at Lugogo.

Awat scored at the start of the third quarter from a penalty corner as Rhinos rose from bottom of the table to fourth with eight points in nine games.

Kampala Hockey Club (KHC) Swans are now bottom with six points after their profligacy cost them in a 2-1 loss to Deliverance Church on Saturday. Elise Belcher scored the opener but DCU rallied from behind with Mary Nanderenga’s brace.
In the men’s category, Weatherhead’s Timothy Ntumba struck thrice in a 13-0 win against his club’s veterans Historicals.
Ntumba leads the top scorers’ charts with 19 goals in 11 games but his side trails leaders Wananchi (28 points) by three points.

Wananchi, who welcomed back Innocent Mbabali from Kenyan side USIU, were 10-0 winners over perennial victims Simba.
Mbabali has been playing in the Kenyan league but like KHC Stallions’ Samuel ‘Webo’ Wakhisi last year, moved here in the mid-season transfer window.

Uganda Hockey Association (UHA)’s executive committee deemed Webo ineligible to play then and KHC were docked three points and five goals for using him in a league match against Weatherhead last season.

Though there was no communicated change in transfer rules, UHA president Lydia Dhamuzungu, was quick to express her excitement over Mbabali’s return on Twitter.