No pay, no training, Hockey players say

By roryamaendeleo.

National women's hockey team players during a past training session. PHOTO | FILE |   NATION MEDIA GROUP

In Summary

• South Africa has already pulled out of the event leaving only Ghana and Egypt as Kenya’s serious challengers for the sole ticket.

The national women’s hockey players have vowed not to resume training for their upcoming Olympic qualifiers until the full allowances owed to them from previous assignments are cleared.

Both the men and women’s teams had on Tuesday received part of their allowances owed to them by the Kenya Hockey Union but the women’s team remained adamant that they will not resume training until they get all their dues.

The two teams had boycotted training since May ahead of the Olympic qualifiers set for Ismailia, Egypt from October 17-25. On Tuesday, the government through the Ministry of Sports released Sh710,880 that was paid to the teams for their participation in the world league one and two series.

However, women’s team captain Betsy Ommalla told Daily Nation Sport the team’s position remains the same and will remain so until their balances are cleared.

“It’s good we’ve been paid the Uruguay (world league two series) money which we should have been paid five months ago but they still owe us the local allowances,” Ommalla told Daily Nation on phone.

MEN TEAM PAID

The squad of 18 players, which went to Uruguay in February, were each paid Sh21,160 as part of the international allowances while four players - who were dropped from the team - were paid Sh15,000 local allowances for their participation in the world league one series.

The men’s team of 18 players, which failed to advance to the second round of the Olympic qualifiers, were each paid Sh15,000, 10 months since the end of the world league one series which was held in Nairobi.

Ommalla wondered why half the players were given their full amount while others were told to wait and still expected to turn up for training.

“It is clear that someone is playing games and we can clearly see. We are not kids and they want to make it look like it’s a favour they’re doing to us,” she added.

Kenya has a last chance to qualify for next year’s Olympics if it wins the Africa Cup of Nations which will also as the continental qualifiers to the Rio Games.

South Africa has already pulled out of the event leaving only Ghana and Egypt as Kenya’s serious challengers for the sole ticket.