Why Kenya handball coach is confident of improved results at Deaflympics
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Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 01.11.25. | 15:33
The women's team will not be in action at this year's competition with reports indicating that not enough teams registered for the event in Tokyo
As Kenya makes her second men's handball appearance at the Deaflympics, in Tokyo, Japan, from Saturday, 15 to Wednesday, 26 November, head coach Jack Ochieng is confident of a podium finish.
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The team is placed in Group B alongside Croatia, Serbia, and France, while Group A consists of Japan, Germany, Turkey, and Brazil.
Ochieng, who guided the side in the quadrennial multi-sport event on their 2022 debut in Caxias do Sul, Brazil, believes their early preparations and experience gained both in the national league and on their international debut will propel them to the podium.
"We finished sixth in 2022, but we lacked in experience back then. We have been implementing the lesson we picked in Brazil, in our national league action, and there has been tremendous improvement. The players are more mature and know what to expect at that level.
We have also been accorded adequate preparation time, which helped the team gel with the few new additions, and the squad is in a good place. In the remaining days, we are focusing on game situations," Ochieng told Mozzart Sport.
An 18-man squad is training at Nyayo with coach Ochieng confirming that it will be whittled down to 15 before travelling tentatively on Sunday, 9 November, to Tokyo.
"We have a few more friendlies lined up for the coming week, where we focus on trying out different player combinations through friendlies with league sides.
We played against General Service Unit (GSU) in our most recent build-up match and lost by a goal, an encouraging result given the stature of the paramilitary side. We are confident of good results and the players are ready for the challenge," Ochieng added.
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