Tanzania Hockey Club Twende opening match at the 26th Africa Hockey Club Championship against Heartlands Flickers of Nigeria could not take place as it was earlier planned.
The match that was expected to kick off the tournament’s women opening at Lugogo grounds in Kampala, Uganda was pushed to today because the Nigerians delayed to arrive in Kampala for the showdown.
“A day delayed of the match is due to the late arrival of our opponent Heartlands at the tournament,” Twende assistant coach Mnonda Magani told the ‘Sunday News’ from Kampala.
“We will play them (Heartlands) tomorrow (today), we are very much looking forward for our first match in the campaign,” he said. According to Magani, instead the women’s opening match yesterday pitted hosts Ugandan Weatherhead and Kenyan Orange.
Weatherhead found the going tough and were in the middle of trouble after suffering a humiliating 6-0 defeat to powerful Orange. The one-sided match saw the visitors making their way to a flying start at seven team-women event.
Other women teams are Kampala Club (Uganda), Strathmore (Kenya) and Ghana Revenue Authority. Kenyans also started well in the men’s category after Police Kenya recorded a 2-0 victory at the hands of Union Bank of Nigeria in the opening match.
The week-long Africa Hockey Federation organised event will see ten men’s teams battling out for the top honour. Tanzania failed to send men’s team due to lack of sponsorship.
By MBONILE BURTON, Tanzania Daily News