National handball league champions, Nairobi Water Queens trounced Spaklers 34-16, their second defeat, in the ongoing East and Central Africa Club championship at Nyayo Stadium yesterday.
Cereal’s Rehema Asiko aims St Paul’s goal during handball League at St Paul’s University on Saturday, October. 2014. Photo/Jonah Onyango
The regional event saw the two-time Kenyan champions start the match on a high note with head coach Jack Sandan retaining almost the same team, which played on Saturday.
The only absent player was Judy Augo, who picked a knee injury in the first match against Ulinzi where Nairobi Water Queens won 47-26.
Sandan brought in Brenda Ariviza, who returned last month from maternity leave. Augo will be forced to stay out of action for at least two months.
“The injury has affected my strategy on how to approach this championship but we are going for nothing less than the trophy. Ariviza should work hard in that position to make sure the team holds firm,” said the tactician.
Sandan started the game with Brenda Musambai, Gladys Chilo, Cecilia Katheu, Merina Andala and Mitchelle Adhiambo while Winnie Miyenda stood tall between the post.
Good combination between Andala and Adhiambo in the front helped Nairobi Water Queens extend their lead to 17-9 at the breather.
On resumption, Water Queens’ quest to extend the lead intensified with Sandan giving other players a chance to prove their worth.
“The exposure and experience the team has gained from continental matches has increased with players gaining individual brilliance,” added Sandan.
Nairobi Water Queens, who were last year’s runners-up, have remained with two tricky matches in the preliminary round. They will rest today and entertain current local league leaders and arch rivals National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) tomorrow and the champions Police from DRC.
Sandan said both matches are crucial in their title hunt.
“The matches are very important for us in our title hunt. All players are good but I decided to start with the confident ones and rested others to allow them to fill in gradually,” he said.
In another entertaining match, played at the same venue, men’s defending champions Police from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) defeated Kenya Universities Sports Association (KUSA) Nairobi Conference 32-27.
This is KUSA’s second defeat after they failed to tame Prisons of Uganda, going down 40-36.
In other results, Ulinzi overpowered Black Mamba 34-27 while NCPB recorded 38-24 win against Police of Rwanda. The six-day championship has attracted nine men’s and five women’s clubs from the region.
By REBECCA GICHANA, The Standard