NAIROBI, Kenya, April 17 – Amira Sailors’ Gilly Okumu says she was determined to show her former club, Strathmore University Scorpions, what exactly they are missing during their 1-1 draw in a women’s hockey premier league match at City Park over the weekend.
The Kenyan international struck against her former employers in the 19th minute to give Sailors the lead before Diana Awino scored the equaliser, 11 minutes later.
Having turned out for the league champions as recently as January’s Africa Club Championships in Nairobi, Okumu said she was mentally psyched for the match.
“For me, I didn’t spare them because I wanted them to know it is not easy and they need to pull up their socks because I am no longer part of their team. I was in the game (mentally) because they know what I am capable of and I knew they were scared,” Okumu said.
She added that she had enjoyed the reunion with her old friends from Strathmore and admitted it was a case of mixed feelings for her, pre-match.
“Yeah, there was a bit of pressure because they are people I used to train with…and then, they are my friends. Also, in my new team I have to perform so it was like I was torn because on one side my old teammates would be like ‘don’t go too hard on us’ while my new teammates will definitely expect me to give my best,” she said.
The Kenyan international has now scored two goals from two matches for her new club and leads the scoring charts alongside Awino who has also notched two goals for Scorpions.
The fine start to her new chapter in hockey notwithstanding, Okumu says she will be taking it one game at a time even as she targets silverware with the Sailors.
“For me, it is just one game at a time. It is a new team…we were struggling last season so I am just looking forward to growing with my new team. So, it is just one game at a time,” she said.
Sailors lie second on the log with four points, same as leaders Strathmore who have played a game more.
