Kisumu Queens Hockey Club intensify training ahead of league resumption

Kisumu Queens Hockey Club have intensified training ahead of the Kenya Hockey Union Women’s Super League resumption next month.

After four fixtures, the Royals sit pretty at position three on the log standings with nine points from three wins and a defeat, but they're not resting on their laurels.

The league's newbies played a friendly against a men's side at Simba Club, Kisumu on Saturday as they sought to improve on speed and other technical areas.

"We wanted our girls to understand that sometimes the opposition can be fast and if you don't react fast they score," Queens coach Brian Aduda told Mozzart Sport.

"Equally, we wanted them to learn that the boys are fast when exiting, and if you face the ball, the opponent will easily get the ball quickly when you're still turning your back."

"Our reaction time is slow. I watched that in most of our games. So I brought the boys to teach them that if you're slow, you will be beaten," the former Kenya international said.

"Our exit strategy is also slow and they give the wrong exit route where they try to play to our left. Hockey is a right sided game," he added.

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Playing against men Aduda said will also help his charges to harden up as some are weak.

The league paused until next month when KHU will release new fixtures. The fixture uncertainty, while inconveniencing, is partly due to the fact that University teams like Kenyatta University Ladies have currently dispersed for school holidays.

Still, for more training time and team cohesion, Queens have camped in Kisumu since Saturday and are expected to play more build up games.

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"I want them to feel what it means to play, some of them have missed game time, and they are not all at the same level. They will also feel the pressure of the game,” he noted.

Queens skipper Beryl Achieng is happy with the good start to the season and hopes to keep doing well. "We're putting a lot of effort in our matches, and we hope to replicate the same in all our matches."

Queens and Lakers Hockey Club, who play in the Premier League are two women's teams from the larger Western region.