BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom, Aug 1 – National women’s hockey team captain Gilly Okumu says the team will leave the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham with their heads held high despite losing all their matches thus far.
The Blades suffered another heavy defeat on Monday, a 11-0 humbling at the hands of Scotland but the experienced player believes it is all for the best.
“It is quite a privilege to come and compete at this competition against teams of such calibre. These are teams we often see on television during the Olympics and the World Cup and playing against them is such a learning experience. We are happy to have played at the Commonwealth and we will go back home with a lot of valuable lessons,” Okumu said.
“We have really played to the best of our potential…no one can say that we haven’t. Obviously, with the gulf in quality between us and them, it was always going to be a difficult task. All in all, we have really enjoyed the experience,” she added.
The Kenyans have been the whipping girls in Group B of the quadrennial competition, which began with a 16-0 thrashing by New Zealand.
Although they fought gallantly against Australia in their subsequent tie, Blades were still no match for their superior opponents as they shipped in eight goals.
The writing – as far as another huge loss is concerned – was clear on the wall as the Kenyans trailed the Scots 6-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Okumu pinpointed several defensive mistakes that have proved costly to them.
“One thing we have learned is the need to protect our defensive area effectively. It was a major reason why we lost so heavily in the first game as well as today. We also need to be conscious of the short corners because what we have seen in this competition is that it is one area many teams are using to create chances,” she said.
They will be in action against continental counterparts, South Africa, in their next match and Okumu says they are determined to exit on a high.
“We want to approach the game with positivity and confidence. It is not all lost…we want to go there and fight hard moreso because it is South Africa who we have played against many times before. So, we will go back to the drawing board and see what else we can do better,” she said.
