Daystar Falcons among top teams confirmed for Dala 5-Aside

Battle lines for the Annual Victoria Handball Super League 5-aside tournament have been drawn with Daystar Falcons the latest to sign up for the Lakeside tourney. Scheduled for the 24th and 25th of June, this 7th edition christened ‘Dala 5-Aside, will see defending champions Kisumu Academy HC battle for honours against a star-studded line-up that has debutants Kisumu County Men HC.

According to league coordinator Robert Ojwang, the 7th edition is the biggest one yet and has so far attracted 13 men’s teams and 8 women’s sides and with registration still ongoing, he is positive the numbers will increase.

‘’I believe this will be the biggest one of them all, and I owe it to the consistency we have instilled in the league. There are 13 men's sides that have confirmed participation and another 8 women’s teams. I’m still receiving calls from some teams that have graced the tournament before and that means the numbers will increase before the action dates,’’ says Ojwang who organised the first edition in 2019.

Academy Men won the first two editions, held at the Kenya Medical Training College and Kanyamedha Secondary School respectively. Glorious Ladies and Kisumu Academy Ladies won the Ladies’ title.

The tide however changed for Academy Men when General Service Unit (GSU) made their way from Nairobi to honour the 3rd edition and bagged it. They would retain the title in the 4th too. Ojwang admits it’s a highly competitive tournament that attracts teams from all over the country.

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‘’If you look at the history of winners in the tournament, both on the men’s and women’s sides, no one has made it three years in a row. That tells you how competitive it is. We have even had national league teams honouring Victoria 5-Aside. It’s healthy for the growth of the game nationally,’’ continues Ojwang, a teacher by profession.

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In the 6th edition, giants National Cereals & Produce Board (NCPB) claimed the men’s title while Legend Ladies dominated the women’s side. Kisumu Academy Men however reclaimed their long lost title last year- the 6th edition.

Ojwang claims there will be a lot of surprises in the 7th as a majority of top teams have opted to split into two each given the nature of the 5-Aside. Kisumu County Men for instance have registered three teams.

‘’Having seen how teams are showing up in the league (Victoria Handball Super League), I am expecting a lot of surprises. There are teams like Kisumu Saints and KAJ who are equally strong. Uzima University have also proven in the league that they can match up the big boys.’’ Concludes Ojwang.

Registration for the tournament is capped at Ksh. 700 per team with the deadline set on 21st of June. This year’s edition will be held at the Jomo Kenyatta Sports Ground in Kisumu.