photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation
In addition to Bahrain, Kenya was also welcomed into the IIHF family at the recent Semi-Annual Congress in Rhodes, Greece, making it the 84th nation to join international hockey’s biggest community.
Kenya becomes the fifth African Member National Association (MNA), joining Algeria, Morocco, South Africa, and Tunisia under the guidance of its chairman Robert Ouko Opiyo. Ice hockey started to gain momentum in the East African nation in about 2006, but it wasn’t until 2019 that the Kenya Federation of Ice Sports (KEFIS) was formally registered.
Currently, Kenya has 36 senior players (24 male, 12 female) and more than 50 players in the youth program. The senior national teams are called the Kenya Ice Lions.
“This is a historic moment for the sport in Kenya,” Opiyo said. “We are grateful for the support and opportunity we have received from members of the hockey community across the world to help us achieve this dream. It is the first step towards making the sport more accessible to the diverse groups across Kenya.”
What follows is some more background, courtesy of KEFIS, on the recent history and growth of hockey in Kenya.
Ice hockey was first played in Nairobi, Kenya in 2006 when a group of Canadians brought equipment to play at the Panari ice rink, the only rink in East and Central Africa.
From that time on, progress was very slow until participation rates rose as a result of media coverage related to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang and a video on the team sponsored by Alibaba. Interest then spiked when the Ice Lions hockey team travelled to Canada sponsored by Tim Hortons coffee shops which led to a video entitled "The Away Game."
The video went viral and received extensive global media coverage. Its success also led to a longer version being released, and altogether the two videos have amassed over two million views.
The team has received donations through their GoFundMe campaign. Tim Hortons and Alibaba have provided equipment and funding and The Howe Friendship League has sponsored the team in several ways.
Offers of equipment and other assistance have come from across the world. The Kenya Ice Lions jersey is being sold online through the Howe Friendship League and in Nairobi, with profits benefiting the team and has been ranked as one of the ten best ice hockey jerseys in the world.
As part of its application and presenting a comprehensive agenda, the Kenyan federation has outlined its priorities now that it is part of the IIHF family:
As part of their structure, the Kenyans also plan to grow ice hockey at the grassroots level. They are recruiting young women's hockey players and also hope that the recent exposure of ice hockey in Kenya will increase the desire for more senior female players to join as well.
Kenyan hockey has a long way to go, but it's exciting to anticipate what the future could hold.
Kenya becomes the fifth African Member National Association (MNA), joining Algeria, Morocco, South Africa, and Tunisia under the guidance of its chairman Robert Ouko Opiyo. Ice hockey started to gain momentum in the East African nation in about 2006, but it wasn’t until 2019 that the Kenya Federation of Ice Sports (KEFIS) was formally registered.
Currently, Kenya has 36 senior players (24 male, 12 female) and more than 50 players in the youth program. The senior national teams are called the Kenya Ice Lions.
“This is a historic moment for the sport in Kenya,” Opiyo said. “We are grateful for the support and opportunity we have received from members of the hockey community across the world to help us achieve this dream. It is the first step towards making the sport more accessible to the diverse groups across Kenya.”
What follows is some more background, courtesy of KEFIS, on the recent history and growth of hockey in Kenya.
Ice hockey was first played in Nairobi, Kenya in 2006 when a group of Canadians brought equipment to play at the Panari ice rink, the only rink in East and Central Africa.
From that time on, progress was very slow until participation rates rose as a result of media coverage related to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang and a video on the team sponsored by Alibaba. Interest then spiked when the Ice Lions hockey team travelled to Canada sponsored by Tim Hortons coffee shops which led to a video entitled "The Away Game."
The video went viral and received extensive global media coverage. Its success also led to a longer version being released, and altogether the two videos have amassed over two million views.
The team has received donations through their GoFundMe campaign. Tim Hortons and Alibaba have provided equipment and funding and The Howe Friendship League has sponsored the team in several ways.
Offers of equipment and other assistance have come from across the world. The Kenya Ice Lions jersey is being sold online through the Howe Friendship League and in Nairobi, with profits benefiting the team and has been ranked as one of the ten best ice hockey jerseys in the world.
As part of its application and presenting a comprehensive agenda, the Kenyan federation has outlined its priorities now that it is part of the IIHF family:
- Be valued by its members
- Enjoy high visibility within the general community and the sporting arena
- Increase and broaden ice hockey participation
- Have a reputation for running professional, introductory ice hockey events
- Be a leader in education and training
- Be respected
- Have international-standard facilities available
- Have strong, viable, and welcoming clubs that provide diverse participation opportunities
- Focus, develop and support junior participation and pathways
- Have strong financial management, working towards financial accountability, transparency, and financial autonomy
- Gain government and community support for a second facility
As part of their structure, the Kenyans also plan to grow ice hockey at the grassroots level. They are recruiting young women's hockey players and also hope that the recent exposure of ice hockey in Kenya will increase the desire for more senior female players to join as well.
Kenyan hockey has a long way to go, but it's exciting to anticipate what the future could hold.