Five Kenyan Masters teams set for 2026 Hockey World Cup in Netherlands

By Tracy Wamarema

Last year, three Kenyan teams gave an outstanding performance at the African Masters Invitational (AMI) tournament in South Africa, earning them a spot at the 2026 World Masters Hockey (WMH) World Cup.

In light of these achievements, the WMH World Cup extended invitations to additional age categories leading to a total of five Kenyan teams participating: O-35 Women, O-40 Men, O-40 Women, O-45 Men and O-50 Men.

The 126 players are set to represent the country next month in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

The WMH World Cup is a veterans’ tournament for players aged 35 and above. It is the largest hockey competition by headcount with over 400 teams participating from all over the world.

The WMH World Cup happens across four cities but the Rotterdam leg specifically involves the Men's and Women's O-45 and O-50 categories plus O-35 through O-50 International Masters Cup teams. The total turnout is north of 3,000 athletes.

“I’m quite elated by the growth of the sport and the bar it continues to set for our athletes locally,” said team manager for the 0-40M team, Moses Majiwa.

“Age is truly just a number and that’s being demonstrated on the field as athletes are given the space to do what they love most while also keeping their health in check through regular training and play.”

The tournament presents an opportunity to build strong international networks among players and expose local athletes to the global stage, allowing them to benchmark their performance against top international teams.

This exposure is expected to push performance standards higher and reinforce the idea that excellence is achievable at any stage of an athlete’s career.

Hockey holds a proud place in Kenya’s sporting history as the first team sport that qualified for the Olympics and as All-Africa Junior Champions in 1978. Now, the Masters teams are on a mission to revive the glory of the 1970s and prove that hockey is truly a game for life.

Masters Hockey in Kenya has emerged as one of the fastest-growing segments of the sport. The Kenya Master’s program was established in 2019 with the launch of the Masters League which featured only five teams.

By 2024, participation had risen to ten teams strengthened considerably by the inclusion of women’s teams.

That same year, the Kenya Masters Men’s O-40 team made history competing in the WMH World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa.

In 2025, the local league expanded to eleven teams alongside continued growth in the women’s category. Kenya fielded three teams—O40 Women, O40 Men and O50 Men—at the

AMI tournament in Johannesburg. Their strong performance led them to qualify for the 2026 WMH World Cup in Rotterdam.

This year, the Masters Series has continued to thrive, currently at 12 teams and growing. A record five teams are now preparing for the WMH World Cup in July 2026.

Ultimately, officials are targeting podium finishes across the Masters categories, not only as a mark of Kenya’s strength in the sport but also to secure favourable seeding ahead of the 2028 World Cup.

While Kenyan field hockey is experiencing steady growth, the sport continues to face a major challenge: limited access to quality international-standard infrastructure which has slowed its global competitiveness despite local progress.

The Kenya Hockey union continues to engage with the Ministry of Sports on key infrastructure needs including the long-awaited replacement of the turf.

However, due to current constraints, full financial support has not been possible at this time, making this an important area for continued collaboration and investment.

The team is currently hoping for sponsorship for flights and accommodation to enable them to access the WMH World Cup in Rotterdam from 22 July 2026 to 1 August 2026.

“We are reaching out to individual companies, corporations or persons who can help us achieve this,” said Auma Ofula, team manager of the women’s hockey team.

The Hockey Masters World Cup will provide a valuable opportunity for organizations and individuals to support the growth of field hockey in Kenya by backing the Kenya Masters teams on the global stage.