Mwathi calls for a quick return to action for school games.

Walk to any handball court in the country and mention the name Peter Mwathi and it will ring a bell to most if not all. 

Currently the men's handball national team and Strathmore University's head coach, Mwathi has touched the lives of many handball players, for four decades, and is determined to change lives through the sport, one ball at a time.

The tactician, in his quest to make handball the number one sport in Kenya founded 'Hand the Ball-Kenya' alongside Denmark's professional handballer Lasse Boesen and other partners, several years ago.

The organisation operates on a nurturing talent model, working with schools to introduce street handball to young children where they get to learn the basics of the sport and ball handling skills before graduating to traditional handball when they are much older.

"The project is also meant to impart life skills to the children at a young age and help them avoid some societal ills as they grow up. Since Covid-19 hit in 2020, our operations were grounded. Even after the return to action, we are still unable to continue our operations as ministryof Education is yet to okay a return to action for school games," Mwathi, who is also a KHF coaching instructor offered in an interview.

Not only has the pandemic grounded the organisation's outdoor activities but a project within 'Hand the Ball-Kenya' dubbed 'Sports for Education' where coach Mwathi and his partners nurture young talented handball players in primary school and negotiates for their high school scholarships in schools that have active handball teams or are interested to start one.  

"With the ministry having given guidelines to be followed for return to action, we are hoping to be back in operations in the new year. Our school-going children need physical activities so as to grow up to all-rounded adults.

Additionally, the delay in return to action for school games is creating a gap for clubs in all disciplines across the country as the games have, for champions long time, served as the feeder avenue for most teams in the country," Mwathi added.

Unlike many coaches who are part of the sport from their teenage years, Mwathi never played handball or any ball games for that matter. However, he fell in love with the sport much later and boasts a Diploma in handball coaching from the University of Physical Education in Hungary, an IOC accredited institution. 

He has coached National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB), had a stint with University of Botswana until 2002 when he returned to Kenya to joined Technical University of Kenya (TUK) as head coach.

He guided the varsity side to their maiden national league title in 2006. Two years later, he left to join his current employer Strathmore where he has been at the forefront of creating a formidable side that has been a league title contender for several season and a force to reckon with in the University league.