National men's Sevens team Shujaa are scheduled to play in an invitational tournament in South Africa next month as they fine-tune preparations for the Tokyo Olympics.
Head coach Innocent Simiyu said the event will be part of their warm-up for the Tokyo Olympics as they seek to identify the right combinations to subdue opponents at the July Summer Games.
Shujaa have already played in four warm-up tournaments — two in Madrid and two in Dubai — with the team registering mixed fortunes.
“The tournaments have been eye-openers. We have played good quality opponents who have had longer training sessions and the more tournaments we play, the better the players get, ” Simiyu said.
Simiyu said he will use the next fortnight to sharpen several facets of play ahead of the trip down south.
“We have work to do on some facets of play, especially our attack structures, kickoff and defence as well as improving our conditioning to be up to par,” he said.
The team resumed training on Monday at Moi Stadium, Kasarani after receiving their Covid-19 vaccinations last week.
Save for minor knocks, Simiyu reported no major injuries from the squad.
After South Africa, Shujaa will play in the final warm-up tournament in Los Angeles before the final 12-man squad is named for the Tokyo Games.
Skipper Andrew Amonde, who played his first tournament in the shortened version of the game in a year, believes the players will be in peak condition in July.
