Ulinzi handball team coach Nixon Oyaro insists his side must cut down on turnovers as they begin their league campaign this weekend at Nyayo Stadium.
He said their priority at the moment is to regain fitness and build on both offensive and defensive play after a long break.
“We have just resumed training and we are working on gaining fitness as players have just come in from a long break,” Oyaro said.
He described their upcoming opponents, including NCPB, Mamba and Kenyatta University— as teams to be taken seriously.
“We can’t underestimate any opponent as you never know how prepared they are,” he noted.
Having identified turnovers as their biggest setback last season, Oyaro said minimising the errors would be crucial in their title pursuit.
“The main thing is working towards minimising turnovers, which were our main undoing last season,” he admitted.
“We kept losing balls and this derailed our focus.”
They will take a game at a time while ensuring they sharpen both offensive and defensive execution.
He remains optimistic that a stronger start will set them on the right path in their league campaign.
Their women’s counterparts and league champions, Ulinzi Sharks, target another dominant season, with coach Oyaro emphasising the need for consistency.
The military side ended Nairobi Water’s long reign last season, clinching the league and Super Cup titles.
Water under coach Jack Ochieng’ had dominated the sport for a decade.
“The target is to retain the two trophies but we are aware it will not be a walk in the park,’ he said.
“We have a target on our backs, and the challenge when the league resumes is not only to maintain top place but to ensure we keep our winning streak.”
“Retaining the title is the true test
of a champion and we are eager
to achieve that.”