A global pandemic, disruptions and a season to remember: The Kenya Handball Federation 2021 year in review

Kenya's first case of a Covid-19 positive case (patient zero) was confirmed on Friday, 13 March 2020 bringing with it an unprecedented stoppage to all sporting activities in the world including the Kenya Handball Federation (KHF) 2019/20 season. 

One year on the courts remained abandoned before repreive came. A new season, the 2021 league action threw off at Nyayo Handball Court in March 2021. The move to Nyayo was a new dawn, a shift from the Kaloleni Handball Court where the last three seasons had been played. 

With Handball back to its 'home', Nyayo, everyone was excited. However, that joy was very shortlived. On 20 March 2021, a clash between Tigers and Generation opened up Kenyan handball post Covid-19. Four matches were played on the opening day with three more on the books on day two of action.

Organisers were readying for the second weekend of action when the country's Head of State Uhuru Kenyatta declared another countrywide lockdown, suspending all sporting activities on Friday 26 March 2021 and the league was again plunged into darkness. 

Ulinzi HC in action

Another 98 days of in-action felt like a lifetime for both organisers and teams that had to begin preparations a new, just like they had after a year-long league hiatus. The league returned on 26 June 2021, under strict health guidelines and no fans allowed in the venues following the lifting of a nationwide lockdown. 

It was the new norm, teams missing out on the eighth man on the court and the players bravely carried on. However, on October 23, the Kenyan government officially announced the return of spectators into stadiums after the lifting of the nationwide curfew by the President and discussions between the Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage Amina Mohamed and her Ministry of Health counterpart Mutahi Kagwe.

The return of fans was, however, subject to conditions set out in a statement issued from the Sports Ministry one of which was that event organizers were expected to ensure they utilize up to two-thirds of the capacity of each facility.

Regardless, Nyayo Handball Court was alive again! The league involved a total of 27 teams- eight women and 19 men's sides were in participation making it a very memorable year by all standards.

League Winners

On 21 November 2021, 227 matches later under scorching sun, bitingly frigid and some rainy days, the league action concluded. 

Nine months of hard work and pure dedication from the players, teams, technical benches not forgetting the referees and organisers who braved a pandemic and the different weather conditions every match-day to run an extremely successful league season.

National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) won 17 of their 18 league matches to lift the men's league title. The 19-team league played in a round robin format saw 171 matches competed with Strathmore University finishing second on 32 points, two behind the champions. Black Mamba placed third, tied with the varsity side on points but with an inferior goal difference. 

Water Queens in action

In the women's league, 56 matches were played. Played in a home and away format, Nairobi Water Queens went 14 matches unbeaten to clinch their eighth women's league title ahead of challengers Ulinzi Sharks who were second on 24 points from 12 wins. NCPB Ladies completed the podium finishes on 28 points having won nine of their 14 matches. 

Goals

Without goals, no sport will be exiting at all and handball is no exception. The matches saw teams record a total of 23,190 goals (17,264 Men and 5926 Women).

Ulinzi led the scoring charts, bagging 684 against 429 and this earned them 28 points which was only good for fifth position. Women league champions Queens rattled in 534 goals while conceding a low 224 in 14 matches. 

Individually, some teams were on a groove offensively in certain encounters, hitting half a centuries scores .Strathmore University men won 53-8 against Vickers, Ulinzi picked a 53-18 victory over Technical University of Kenya (TUK). NCPB 51-17 Gunners, Ulinzi 54-16 Generation, Ulinzi 53-26 Vickers were other high scoring matches.

The women's league had NCPB Ladies picking a 50-14 win against Amazon while Queens dispensed Rangers in a 55-19 outcome.

While Generations and Amazons soaked the highest number of goals at 638 and 504 in the men's and women's league respectively, Nanyuki and Amazons tallied the lowest scores both being hit hard by eventual winners Water Queens 59-9 and 47-11 respectively in the women's league. 

In the men's league, it was Vickers, JKUAT and Generation who recorded the lowest scoring tallies 53-8, 36-12 and 43-13. 

Close calls 

When the final whistle sounds, it marks an end to every match and at times some tight ones that are sadly separated by a goal or two.

A classic case is the final fixture of the year that saw Black Mamba pip Ulinzi 31-30. This nip and tuck encounter would have gone either way. 

There were many other tight duels to note as well and interestingly TUK and Buccaneers are involved in five and four of those results respectively. 

General Service Unit (GSU) won 28-26 against Kenyatta University (K.U), Rangers picked a 30-28 victory over K.U. Ulinzi had to fight hard for a 23-21 win over Buccaneers. 

Ulinzi were stunned 31-32 by varsity side KU while school boys Inspired narrowly loat 24-25 to TUK. The Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) based varsity side TUK seem to be the masters of close calls as they also picked a 30-29 victory over Buccaneers Kisii-based Boomerang went down 36-38 to, again, TUK while Gerald Juma's Rangers lost 26-27 to JKUAT, a result that contributed to the Kimilili-based outfit missing out on a Super Cup place.

A former league champion (2012) then under coach Peter Mwathi TUK who have struggled to find that form. The side went down 27-29 to Generation in another close call. Boomerang one of the teams no one could be complacent while up against, especially with a full squad also gave some front runners a scare. In their meeting wirh GSU, the side went down by a single goal in a 22-23 outcome. 

In other close matches, soldiers Thika lost 32-33 to Buccaneers while Juma's Rangers also lost 22-23 to GSU. JKUAT had to dig deep to pick a 25-23 victory over Hospital Hills' Inspired. 

Champions NCPB did not have an easy path to the title either as they had a scare from Mamba, winning 27-25. The match between KU and Thika ended 37-39 in favour of the soldiers but the varsity side inflicted some pain of their own to Buccaneers who were chasing a top-six finish for a chance at the Super Cup with a 28-30 win. 

JKUAT beat Gunners 20-18, Rangers lost 29-30 to Nanyuki, TUK won 27-25 against Gunners while Ulinzi lost by a solitary goal to the millers in in 28-29 outcome. 

In the women's side NCPB were stunned by Nanyuki 26-27, Ulinzi Sharks also picked a narrow 26-25 win over the millers while the match between Queens and Sharks ended 29-28 on favour of the Jack Ochieng-coached champions. Rangers Women were also involved in a close match with Nanyuki, the latter winning 30-29. 

And as, in any sport that admits ties the KHF league recorded some. In a high scoring March Rangers ended up sharing the spoils with Thika in a forty three- all draw.

Boomarang stunned Buccaneers with 23-23 draw on the tail end of the league, a score line that saw the latter lose their chance at a top six finish, paving the way for varsity side K.U. TUK drew 33-33 with Thika while in the women league saw Nanyuki share the spoils on 26-26 with K.U Vampires.  

Club Championships 

Four Kenya teams participated in the 2021 East and Central Africa Handball Federation Senior Club Championships held in Dar es Salaam Tanzania. 

Defending champions Queens picked their eighth regional title in style, unbeaten while NCPB finished second.

In the men's side KHF champions came so near to clinching the title but Rwanda Police came guns blazing to defend their title, winning by a single goal. Black Mamba finished third. 

Kenya's Brenda Ariviza of Queens and Victor Otuoma of NCPB were crowded the tournament’s best women's player and men's goalkeeper. 

National teams 

Between 8 to 18 June 2021, the women's national team under coach Ochieng assisted by Mwathi participated in the 24th edition of the Women's Senior Africa Nations Cup in Yaounde, Cameroon. 

Kenya finish tenth in the eleven-team championship. Opening their campaign against hosts Cameroon, Ochieng's charges went down 40-16 before losing 42-16 to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In a tightly fought final group match, Kenya lost 26-21 to Nigeria. 

In the classification matches, Ochieng led Kenya to a 33-30 victory over Madagascar but lost to Cape Verde 27-22 for tenth place.