The national women's cricket team captain Queentor Abel says they are mentally prepared to handle the pressure that comes with defending their Kwibuka T20 title for the sixth time.
The annual tournament — held to commemorate the Rwanda genocide of 1994 — commences on Thursday in Kigali before concluding on June 19.
"For me, there is not much but just to enjoy ourselves, defend our title and bring the cup back home. Considering we are the defending champions, the pressure is definitely there. However, we have been working hard on our mental aspects and have been taught how to handle different situations so I believe we are mentally ready," Abel said.
The skipper said the entry of other teams, such as Brazil has spiced up the tournament and she is looking forward to stretching her skills to the limit when playing against some of the toughest teams in the tournament.
"I can't remember the last time I played in a match against Tanzania. We have never met at Kwibuka and so we are both here and it is going to be interesting. I wouldn't call them tough rather good games against the likes of Uganda, Namibia and Nigeria," she said.
Abel added: "Nigeria pushed us hard the last time we played against them. It was a surprise. I know that this time they will push us twice as hard. I am also looking forward to playing against the likes of Brazil."
The team, who have been in a training camp at Ruaraka for the past month, is a mixture of youth and experience as Cricket Kenya moves to grow the women's game in the country.
Abel, who has been in the national team set-up for close to a decade, said the older players are working round the clock to help their younger peers adapt.
"One thing I tell them is that for them to make it to the national team means they have a lot of potential. Nothing happens in an instance so you have to take everything step by step. Be grateful for this opportunity you have and learn from the experience as much as possible. Being in the national team is not going to be easy but we are here to help them," she said.
After the Kwibuka tournament, the opening bats lady will be one of two Kenyan players who will participate in the Rwanda Elite League on June 20-24. The other one is her assistant, Sharon Juma.
"This is my sixth year participating in Kwibuka and I have gone from strength to strength with every edition. The Elite League is an opportunity to sell myself out there and to improve and to play among other experienced players," she said.
