KHF leagues resume after three-month break

A clash between Thika and Kahawa, two teams affiliated with the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) open the Kenya Handball Federation (KHF) men's league that resumes on Saturday, 26 June. 

The league was unceremoniously stopped following a presidential directive that halted all sporting activities in the country back in March, just a week after the KHF leagues had resumed since Covid-19 hit the country in March 2020. 

"It has been a tough period of trying our level best to comply with the Ministry of Sports' guidelines on Covid-19 and now that the league is on again, we are hoping not to experience any disruptions. The players have been vaccinated and all other precautions have been taken at the venue of the Games to allow for a smooth resumption," explained KHF fixtures secretary Charles Omondi.  

Peter Mwathi's Strathmore take on Kenyatta University (K.U) in a varsity derby set to test the sides' preparedness for the league. If past performances are anything to go by, Strathmore are the better side. Before the 2020 league cancellation, Mwathi's charges were at the helm of the league and were looking forward to fighting for the title. 

Meanwhile, General Service Unit (GSU) who have played just one season in the KHF league face Generation HC who are on a rebuilding path after a less impressive 2019 season. 

The highlight matches of the day will see KDF's Ulinzi HC take on their junior club Tigers, a side composed of Ulinzi youth players in a clash that is likely to set the pace of the season early. 

Another big match will see former champions Black Mamba take on Buccaneers HC. The latter made their debut in the league in 2019 but are no pushovers as, despite being a new side, they have players loaded with experience having played for other league sides among them Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology (JKUAT).

A majority of the Buccaneers players are former Mang'u High-school students who have regrouped to form a league team. 

For the opening weekend, only the men's league will be played as organisers intimate that the women's league has been delayed for a week to allow the national team players who did duty in the Africa Women's Handball Championship in Cameroon to get their rest before joining their respective teams for training.