HAMMAMET, Tunisia, Jun 27 – The national women’s handball team were always a vibe whenever they played in the Tunisian sea-side city of Hamamet, at the second Africa Beach Games.
The Kenyan girls clinched silver after narrowly losing out to Tunisia in the final match on Monday afternoon, but their departure later in the evening will be felt, as they were literally the life of the party.
The girls celebrated every win as though it was their last, and they danced their way from the court to the hotel with delight and glee.
And it was made even better by the Deejay in Hammamet, who clearly had a good collection of Kenyan music, from the famous Vaida to some good Luo ohangla beats that kept not only the players, but the entire Team Kenya contingent on their feet.
“This is our way of life and this is how we psyche ourselves. It comes out natural and we love celebrating every achievement we get on the pitch,” said skipper Michelle Adhiambo.
She added; “Sports is all about fun and enjoying what you are doing. If you don’t enjoy sports, then you have no business doing it. Most of us love music and that is the best way we celebrate.”
The dancing and the celebratory vibe was not just for the Kenyans, but for everyone who would care join. Any Team Kenya celebration by the girls was joined up by athletes from other countries, becoming a whole carnival.
On Monday after the medal ceremony, the girls were taken on a horse chariot ride along the short route from the competition zone to the Team Hotels, and they screamed and sang their way all through.
On arrival at the hotel, they broke into song and dance and were joined by gold medallists Tunisia and bronze winners Mali, the latter just joining into the song and dance despite the language barrier that exists between the Anglophone and Francophone countries.
“We are really delighted and that is why we have all this joy. Winning a medal for the first time at a tournament like this is a massive achievement for us,” said assistant captain Viona Wandera.
The team travelled home with two separate silver medals, the first from the four-nation Global Tour tournament that preceded the Beach Games.
“We are really thankful for everyone who supported us from the Kenya Handball Federation to the National Olympic Committee of Kenya and the Government as a whole. We also want to thank our coach Titus Kesekwa who could not make it due to some last minute logistical hitch,” skipper Adhiambo said.
The Kenyan girls now hope that the experience picked in Hammamet can help them in future competitions, including the World Beach Games which will be staged in Bali, Indonesia in August.
