Kenya Lacrosse team jet out to Canada today for this year’s Under-19 women’s Lacrosse World Championships set for August 1-10 in Toronto, Canada.
Kenya, the first African country to compete at the event, will be making their debut at the global show.
Head coach Storm Trentham and captain Victory Akinyi are hopeful of making it into the knock-out stage of the event. The sport, which was introduced in Kenya in 2009, has attracted school girls from Western Kenya and they are expected to fly the country in North America. Trentham said she introduced the game for the girls because she wanted to give them an opportunity to play and focus on something new.
“The boys were already playing football and rugby and I thought this would be good for the girls,” she revealed. Trentham added: “We are so excited having been with this team for barely two years. We first picked a provisional squad of 40 players in April before reducing it to 25 then final 18 ahead of the championships.”
Kenyans are pooled alongside China, Jamaica and Korea in Pool C and the event has attracted 24 nations. “We are travelling a week earlier to ensure we acclimatise in time for the event. The event will be a massive eye-opener as too much attention will be on us considering they are making our debut,” she said.
Trentham first came to Kenya under the anti-jiggers project in 2007 before shifting to the sport. “We want to get off our pool and play in the knockout stages where the top two teams will proceed to the knock-out stages.
Captain Akinyi was optimistic of surprising the bigwigs at the championships following their intense training. “We have really trained and worked hard for about two years and as a team and we expect a good result,” said Akinyi.
Team—Doreen Indasi Lumwachi, Victoria Makokha, Faith Mukasa, Esther Anai, Maureen Atieno, victory Odhiambo, Susan Jepleting, Daphne Chelagat, Joyce Akhalakwa, Lina Anzala, Sharon Makokha, Glyde Pepela, Flora Chebii, Michele Wesonga, Mackline Osaji, Sara Kagwiria, Diana Mokaya and June Narotso.
