The National Olympic Committee of Kenya says they will engage with the national ladies hockey team to begin preparations for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England in July this year.
Secretary-general Francis Mutuku said they want to ensure the Blades are equipped for the challenge ahead and are able to cope with the creme-de-la-creme of hockey at the quadrennial event.
"We want to congratulate them as we immediately engage them from Monday so that they can catch up with the other affiliates. Talent is immense, so we just need to look for resources to be able to nurture it," Mutuku said.
The International Hockey Federation on Friday confirmed that Kenya will be among teams at the Commonwealth Games courtesy of the Hockey Athlete Allocation System.
He added that the team's achievements should be applauded considering the tribulations under which they earned their ticket to Birmingham.
"All of us know under what circumstances the team traveled to and that goes to show how much talent we have. For us as the Olympic Committee, we are very proud to be represented in a team sport. It means that our systems and structures are improving even as we still have a long way but we are on the right track,” he said.
The announcement that the hockey team will be making their maiden appearance in the Commonwealth Games was greeted with excitement by stakeholders.
"This is great news to our Kenyan National Ladies team who surmounted all the odds to win the Bronze Medal at the just concluded Africa Cup of Nations Tournament in Accra, Ghana last month," the Kenya Hockey Union said in a statement.
The Jacqueline Mwangi-coached side began last month's Africa Cup of Nations campaign on a sour note, giving a walkover to hosts Ghana in their first match after arriving late.
However, they recovered to eventually clinch bronze after defeating Zambia and Nigeria on their way to the semis.
