BY DANN O’WERRE
Equity Bank and national team shooting guard Betty Kananu has credited his brother Erick Maithima for her swift return to training following recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Kananu said Maithima has been helping her to a 5km daily run to strengthen her calf in readiness for the new season after seven months on the sidelines.
The injury occurred during the regional club show in Tanzania but Kananu now believes the worst is behind her.
“Last month, my doctor cleared me to resume training,” Kananu revealed. “Since then I have been working out on the road every day with my brother, who has been very encouraging. I will soon be back in shape.”
She also applauded the unselfish efforts by Thunder and national team captain Griffin Ligare who, despite the situation in the country, has spared time to work out with her to strengthen her leg.
In addition, Kananu admitted she will have to work hard to regain her place in the starting squad following the recruitments the team made in the close season. The current squad, she says, is fine and should propel the team to the top again.
“Even when I fully recover and return back to the team, what I know is that there will be no guarantee to a starting slot. The team has done good recruitment and the squad is good so I will have to fight it out for my position,” she said.
She said the coronavirus pandemic which has halted sporting action in the country since mid-March was a blessing in disguise for her since it has given her time to concentrate on her recovery.
“If the Premier League had started in March as scheduled, I would have, sadly, missed part of the action. But the way things are, I can see myself being fully fit when it starts,” said Kananu.
Without her services, Equity surrendered their zonal title last October after finishing fourth.
The injury also forced one of the country’s top shooter miss the play-off finals against rivals Kenya Ports Authority (KPA). Her absence had put KPA odd-on favourite but the bankers, led by Annerose Mandela, stunned the pundits in the best of five game series to claim their second league title.
Mandela went on to claim the play-offs’ Most Valuable Player (MVP).
Before the regional show, Kananu was one of the few shinning stars as Kenya were knocked out of the Fiba Africa Women championships in the preliminary stage in Dakar, Senegal.
A happy Equity Bank head coach David Maina said the team is looking forward to her back since her presence will motivate her teammates.
In readiness for the new season, Maina said, the players are assigned work outs by their coaches on videos.
“I expect players to be disciplined during this period and have more work outs to maintain their fitness and shape,” he said.
