Kenya Police have withdrawn from the forthcoming African Cup of Club Championships set for December 1-10 in Ismailia, Egypt due to financial constraints.
Police, who finished second in the Kenya Hockey Union Premier League last season, had booked an automatic ticket alongside Kenyan champions Butali (men), Telkom (ladies) and Strathmore's Scorpions.
Police's decision to give the tournament a wide berth is a big blow to the sport owing to the need to give international exposure to Kenyan players at different levels.
Deputy fixtures secretary Moses Majiwa said the union received communication from the law enforcers last Thursday but remained optimistic that the rest of the teams will be going to showcase their skills at the tournament.
He said: "So far we've only heard from Police, who have confirmed their unavailability owing to logistical problems. We are hoping Butali will make it. It's just a matter of which other men's teams are going to accompany them. We remain almost certain that Telkom will grace the occasion."
"We would really want to see teams going for the championship because it's the only opportunity for us to expose our players."
Opportunity is always handed to the third and fourth teams in each category when the first two fail to show up. Majiwa said clubs to whom to opportunity was passed are yet to confirm their availability.
"We are waiting for communication from Strathmore, Wazalendo, United States International University and Amira Sailors"
It remains to be seen which club will confirm by the October 10 deadline, as required by the Africa Hockey Federation.
Apart from Telkom, teams have more often skipped the competition.
Police had hoped to attend the championship in the hunt for a silverware for the season now that dethroning Butali looks like an exercise in futility.
Police finished third in the 2011 edition held in Zambia. Despite a faultless display on home soil in 2016, they ended up second behind eventual winners Eastern Company of Egypt.
