Butali Sugar head coach Zack Aura anticipates a competitive 2024/25 Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) Premier League season set to start this weekend.
Aura believes the addition of new talent to his squad will boost the team’s performance this time around
The club recently added four players to its roster including Harry Mukonyole (Multimedia), Paulo Mariba (Simba), Franklin Wakhongo (Kenya Police) and Edson Ndombi (Western Jaguars).
This was after they parted ways with Clayson Luvanda, who has taken up a coaching position at the University of Nairobi. “Some of our players are ageing and they have been in the team for too long,” he said.
Despite the challenges, Aura believes the team’s performance last season was commendable. “We played well last season and we can't complain,” he said.
The coach said their biggest headache at the moment is the blunt striking force. “Our striking force has always been a major problem and we need to focus on this department," Aura lamented.
He said inadequate training facilities have also been an issue. " Hiring facilities is very expensive. The cost of the training facility is Sh 5,000 per session, and double the amount if floodlights are required," he added.
Butali Sugar clinched the title in 2017, 2018, and 2019, and won their fourth consecutive championship last year. The KHU league was interrupted in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This upcoming season will be a tough one as most teams are beefed up their squads," said Aura.
The season opener will see Butali Sugar face last season's runner-up Western Jaguars. “ We not only expect a tough match but a game of chances, which could go either way,” Aura predicted.
Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) had in April proposed a new league format due to time constraints. Instead of the traditional home and away format, the new season will see teams compete in two pools, with the top two from each pool advancing to the end-of-season play-offs.
The pool winners will face the runners-up from the other pool in the semi-finals, culminating in a final to determine the champion.
Meanwhile, City Park's renovations are in progress under the joint efforts of the Ministry of Sports, the Kenya Hockey Union, the Africa Federation of Hockey and the International Hockey Federation.
