Kenya is known for its fast runners, but that could change if you ask its ice hockey team. The Ice Lions are training hard in the sun to be the first team in East and Central Africa to qualify for the Winter Olympics.
Image: DW/J. Shimanyula
Advertisement
In Kenya's capital, Nairobi, the Ice Lions are determined to beat all odds and qualify for the 2022 Winter Olympics. The team is training at the only ice rink in East Africa under the guidance of veteran Canadian hockey player Tim Colby.
They have been playing international friendly matches against seasoned players from six countries among them Russia, Canada and the United States.
Benjamin Mburu has played ice hockey for nearly four years. He started out as a roller skater and then got into street hockey. As he developed his skills an ice hockey player asked him to join them for a game — and he was hooked. That was in 2015.
Don't be fooled: it's 30 degrees Celcius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) outside right nowImage: DW/J. Shimanyula
"I really enjoyed the ice, so I automatically joined," he said. He already knew how to skate, but he says it was challenging, because he had to adapt to the ice and learn how to maneuver.
Help from seasoned Canadian players
Since then he's made it as far as Toronto, Canada to compete against others. "It was back in August 2018. We interacted with a few players. They gave us some few pointers. We also got to meet Canadians, who are very good at it and they also gave us some tips."
Faith Sihoho has been playing ice hockey since she was 23 Image: DW/J. Shimanyula
Faith Sihoho, 26, is one of the female ice hockey players. "I started playing hockey at the age of 23. Friends told me that I can come and join them. That's how I started playing ice hockey."
Robert Opiyo has been playing ice hockey since 2007 and is one of the Ice Lion's most senior players. He says the sport has come a long way since it first started a few years ago.
"We have seen a rise of people generating interest in it. We are trying to focus on the youth, the younger generation, because for us seniors, we wouldn't be around for too long. They are the ones who are going to carry this flag," he told DW.
Gearing up for the next Winter Olympics
Opiyo believes ice hockey is slowly gaining traction and hopes the sport will become even more popular in the next few years as they are gearing up for the 2022 Winter Olympics. "We are doing our best to be able to make it to those games. We have seen a rise of people generating interest in it. We are trying to focus on the youth, the younger generation because for us seniors, we won’t be around for too long. They are the ones who are going to carry this flag," he said.
Robert Opiyo wants more young people to playImage: DW/J. Shimanyula
Although ice hockey is still rather new to Kenya, Coach Tim Colby believes the players have potential to get to the top.
"They are fast and in a great shape, so they should be playing game based on speed," he told DW. "The biggest challenge right now is equipment and things such as a skate sharpening machine which you just can't buy here. Once we get the equipment set up, then it is making sure that this is sustainable."
That also includes training Kenyans. "We want to make sure Kenyans are trained as coaches themselves so they own the game, they develop the game in a Kenyan way for them," Colby added.
Opiyo said that the team was self-funded and that from time to time, they get donations from donors. "So far, the government has not given us funds. For now, we don’t have sponsors. However, a Chinese e-commerce company called Ali Baba and a Canadian coffee company known as Tim Hortons, have pledged to support the team in the days to come," he told DW.
However, Opiyo gave no information on the support the team expects to get from the Chinese and Canadian companies.
Ice hockey is played in at least five other African countries mainly in the north such as Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Egypt and South Africa. So far, South Africa is number one on the continent, but Kenya's Ice Lions are working hard to change that.
The sporting year 2019: What we can look forward to
With no men's football World Cup or European Championship taking place in 2019, female athletes and other sports will have a greater chance to grab the headlines. Here are the events to watch out for in the coming year.
Image: Picture-Alliance/dpa/M. Murat
Handball World Cup
For the first time, the Handball World Cup will be hosted in two nations, with Germany and Denmark doing the honors (January 10-27). Back in 2007, Germany's national team had the nation gripped with handball fever after winning the title in front of a home crowd. Can they do it again?
Image: Reuters/C. Platiau
Super Bowl LIII
The first Sunday in February means only one thing to many sports fans: Super Bowl time. The grand finale of the NFL season was watched by close to a billion people across the globe in 2018, as Philadelphia Eagles flipped the script to beat hot favorites New England Patriots. Who'll take the crown in 2019?
Image: USA TODAY Sports/W. Townson
Alpine Skiing World Cup
The creme de la creme of world skiing go toe to toe in February 2019 (5-17), with the Swedish city of Are tasked with hosting the event. Particular focus will be on the downhill, considered the most important of all the skiing disciplines. Competitors reach speeds of up to 140 kph en route to the finish line. Two years ago, Felix Neureuther won bronze in the Slalom to claim Germany's only medal.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J.-C. Bott
Biathlon World Cup
Six disciplines, six medals, five golds: Laura Dahlmeier (right) became the most successful competitor ever at a single World Cup when she bossed the slopes back in 2016. She's been forced to take some time out this season due to health reasons, but she's expected to return to fitness in time for the Östersund edition in March (7-13).
Image: Reuters/L. Foeger
Ice Hockey World Cup
Guess who the favorites are! If you said anything other than Canada, Russia or Sweden, you need to brush up on your winter sports. The hockey juggernauts look set to battle it out for the crown again, but could slip up against the Czechs, touted as dark horses for this year's tournament, to be held from May10-26 in Bratislava and Kosice in Slovakia.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Becker
Champions League final
Real Madrid. Real Madrid. Real Madrid. The Spanish giants have lifted the past three European titles and would relish making it four in the Wanda Metropolitano, home to local rivals Atletico Madrid. Three German teams remain in the competition - Bayern Munich, Dortmund and Schalke - but do they have what it takes to lift the title on June 1?
Image: Imago/Bildbyran/v. Wivestad Grott
FIFA Women's World Cup
Germany's women's team have twice lifted the World Cup, but their last triumph came way back in 2007. Following a disastrous Euro 2017, in which they failed to make it out of their group, a new coach, Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, is tasked with bringing through the next generation of talent. Title holders USA are favorites for next summer's tournament, which is to be hosted by France.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/N. K. Murray
European Athletics Championships
50 nations compete across 21 disciplines, with everything from javelin to sambo included on the bill. July (14-30) sees Minsk play host to the second edition of the championships. The first was held in Baku in 2015. Question marks over Belalrus's suitability as a host nation have been raised, owing to a patchy human rights record, but when has that ever stopped an Olympic Committee?
Image: Reuters/S. Nenov
Tour de France
The 106th edition of the world's most famous bike race should provide the usual thrills: farmers protests, accusations of doping and the wait to find out which member of Team Sky wins the Yellow Jersey. The first stage will start in Brussels on July 6, after six of the previous seven started in Britain.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/G. Breloer
Rugby World Cup
One of the biggest events on the world sporting calendar, and Germany very nearly made it this time! The defending champions, New Zealand, are hot favorites to lift the title again when the tournament kicks off in Japan in the autumn.
Image: Reuters/H. Browne
Athletics World Championships
Everybody knows Qatar are gearing up to host the 2022 World Cup. Fewer people know they're also hosting the 2019 Athletics World Championships. Due to the heat, the marathon will be held during the night. "It's all very new and exciting," said Seb Coe, President of the IAAF. Try telling that to the runners!
