Blazers coach Openda urges govt to lift suspension on sports

Blazers head coach Jos Openda has urged the Government to lift the suspension of all sports activities in the country, saying the move could cripple federation calendars and cause the industry to collapse.

The Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) was only gearing up to begin the new season in April before the wave of new curbs were announced a month ago to slow the wave of new COVID-19 infections.

The hockey league has not resume since the first lockdown measures were announced last year in March, and Openda says he fears the sport might not survive if the current ban prevails much longer.

“Things have been so tough not only for the players but for every stakeholder in our team and the league at large. Players were depending on match allowances for survival but since the league is on halt they have nothing to fend for themselves,” Openda said.

The KHU champions Blazers were already without a sponsor since 2018 when Telkom pulled out and the COVID-19 pandemic only aggravated the situation.

Last month, the government successfully carried out a nationwide vaccination program for athletes in premier competitions and Openda hopes the move could accelerate the resumption of sports activities.

“I have seen some other teams from different sports carrying out virtual training sessions but for us we haven’t done that. My players are pretty stressed by the current situation so that’s why I decided to give them some.

“All I can do now is encourage them to stay safe and hope things come back to normal soon.”