This archive report was first published on 18 October 2019.
On Saturday, the Mombasa Sports Club in Mombasa County will host the Shaban Yusuf Memorial Hockey Festival, a two-day event that has attracted 28 teams.
However, the absence of champions Telkom, who failed to meet the registration deadline, has opened up the competition for a new winner.
Organizers have planned a celebration of hockey legend Shaban Yusuf, and the event will feature 19 men's teams and nine ladies teams battling for top honors.
Amira Sailors, who finished second last year, will be hoping to take advantage of Telkom's absence to win the title. They will face University of Nairobi and DFG Wolverines on Saturday before taking on hosts Mombasa Sports Club in Pool B.
Strathmore University and United States International University of Africa, who are in pool 'A' alongside Daystar University, Nakuru Royals, and Technical University Kenya, will highlight Saturday's matches. The two sides have a date next Saturday in the Kenya Hockey Union Women's premier League match.
Strathmore coach Meshack Senge said the tie is a perfect build-up ahead of next weekend's clash.
“Definitely it will be an interesting match to look out for but generally we just want to see if our system will work. Thereafter we will build on that ahead of the league match,” said Senge, who also doubles as the national men's team coach.
Kenya Police will hope to put aside their stuttering season in the league when they line up against Black Tankers. The law enforcers are drawn in Pool B alongside Strathmore University, Warrior, and Kenya College of Accountancy University and will be seeking to reclaim the trophy they last won in 2016.
