Weatherhead, KHC Swans win Kenyan silver but...

KAMPALA. Weatherhead men and Kampala Hockey Club (KHC) Swans returned home with silver accolades to celebrate their weekend missions in the western Kenyan towns of Uasin Gishu – Eldoret and Maseno – Kisumu, respectively.
Weatherhead had a fine winning streak from Pool B of the inaugural Uasin Gishu Tournament and stretched their form into the quarter finals where they completed a double over St. Anthony School.
In the semis, the side drew 1-1 with Eldoret Veterans before completing the job 2-1 in penalties converted by Timothy Ntumba and Ashraf Tumwesigye.

But with two minutes left to the end of the final, United States International University (USIU) Mashujaa, who regularly visit Uganda for tournaments, ended the fine splash.
“We had a narrow squad so the same players appeared in all knockout games,” Weatherhead player coach Vincent Kasasa, who scored in both the quarter and semi-finals, said.
“The fatigue definitely told in the finals but with more substitutes, we could have been the better team,” he added. He also had his reservations about the dusty murram pitch at the University of Eldoret.

Struggle to adapt
Despite getting their initiation on grass pitches with patches of red dirt in secondary schools, Ugandan players are largely accustomed to the astro-turf at Lugogo, where most of the club activities happen.
The KHC sides – Swans playing in Maseno and Stallions (men) in Musingu – Kakamega, also struggled to come to terms with grass. The quicker the already ‘cash-strapped’ clubs find means of using schoo pitches for acclimatization ahead of these trips, the better.

Swans won silver in Maseno after falling 1-0 to newly promoted ladies’ Kenya Premier League side Lakers in the finals on Sunday. This is a side they had lost 2-0 to in the round-robin of games on Saturday
There was not as much fortune for the Stallions, who could not hold onto an early lead from Jordan Mpiima’s goal as they fell 3-1 in the quarters to perennial Musingu champions Western Jaguars. The Stallions had just 12 players and were ‘buried’ by a goal from one of their former teammates Allan Malit, who now represents the Premier League club.
“We could have done better on a murram pitch,”defender Cliff Othieno Owino insisted.

UASIN GISHU - FINAL
USIU Mashujaa 1-0 Weatherhead
Amadi Open – Final
Lakers 1-0 KHC Swans
Musingu Open – Quarter Finals
Western Jaguars 3-1 KHC Stallions

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