Kenya Sevens and Lionesses believe there is room for improvement after playing in the Madrid Sevens.
This was the first time the two sides were involved in competitive action in a year after the Covid- 19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the international sporting calendar.
Shujaa played in both finals in Madrid, stumbling at the final hurdle to Argentina on both occasions after wins over Portugal, USA, Chile and hosts Spain.
The tournaments in Madrid are being used as warm-up events for teams that have qualified for the Summer Olympics.
Shujaa head coach Innocent Simiyu said, with at least three more tournaments lined up before the Tokyo Olympics, the side will be in good shape before the global extravaganza.
“There are areas we have to rectify as we go along, including kickoffs, discipline and execution in the attack. However, I am happy the boys showed a never-die spirit in the two events in Madrid,” he said.
Simiyu’s charges are slated to play in the Dubai Invitational Sevens tournament at the end of this month and the coach has hinted at changes to the squad to give everyone a chance in the build-up tournaments.
“We have a squad of 29 players and will give a chance to everyone to prove their worth. We will also look at possible combinations to identify one that will work,” he said.
Skipper Nelson Oyoo said they hope to be at their peak come the Olympics in July. “We have been out for a year. If we can get three more tournaments under our belt, we will be competitive and even challenge for the medal positions,” Oyoo said.
Elsewhere, Lionesses coach Felix Oloo admitted they have their work cut out for the Olympics after an inconsistent performance in Madrid.
In the first tournament, they finished bottom of the pool. There was marginal improvement in the second event where Oloo’s charges reached the final, losing 19-0 to Russia.
“We have a lot of work to do in most facets of the game and with two tournaments coming in May, we will see some improvement from the girls,” Oloo said.
Similarly, Kenya Rugby Union chairman Oduor Gangla expressed confidence that both teams can be serious contenders for medals in Tokyo.
“Our performance in Madrid was very encouraging and we can only build on that going forward. With the talent at our disposal, the sky’s the limit for both Shujaa and Lionesses,” he said.
