• Danstone Wabwire and Ivan Ludiali were the stars of the match both hitting hat-tricks.
• The tournament, which started on January 24 in Muscat, Oman is scheduled to end on Wednesday.
Image: HANDOUT
The Kenya men's team booked a spot in the quarterfinals of the FIH Hockey5s World Cup after a 7-4 victory over Australia in the final pool match.
The tournament, which started on January 24 in Muscat, Oman is scheduled to end on Wednesday. Kenyans were placed in Pool C alongside New Zealand, Australia, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Danstone Wabwire and Ivan Ludiali were the stars of the match, both hitting hat-tricks. Bethuel Masambu also contributed to the score sheet, to secure a significant victory for Kenya.
Following the win, the team has accumulated six points— a point behind leaders Trinidad and Tobago to guarantee themselves a spot in the last eight.
Wabwire expressed his joy after securing the quarter-final spot, noting that the team has improved tremendously since their opening match against New Zealand.
"We are extremely happy to reach the quarters. We have been growing since the first game which was a massive win. We lost the second game but we are keen on working on our mistakes," he noted.
He added: "It is a privilege to participate in this inaugural tournament and we look forward to growing in the sport."
Kenya began the tournament with a dominant 6-1 win over New Zealand on Sunday but fell to Trinidad 7-2 in their second match.
The Pool has seen some exciting matches where Trinidad & Tobago played to a 5-5 draw against Australia on Sunday.
New Zealand edged out Australia 6-5 while Trinidad and Tobago secured the top spot in the pool with a convincing 11-4 victory over New Zealand.
The Netherlands were the first team to secure a spot in the quarterfinals with victories against Poland and Pakistan.
Kenya will now take on Oman in the quarterfinals on Tuesday for a chance of a semi-final slot.