NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 19 – Activities at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) Terminal 1A arrivals area almost came to a standstill Monday night as national sevens team Shujaa were treated to a momentous welcome as they jetted back from Harare, where they clinched the Africa 7s title and qualified for next year’s Olympic Games.
The boys, true to their party and lively nature danced their way out of the arrivals lounge, greeted by traditional dancers and bouquets of flowers as they soaked in their new found glory.
Onlookers and travelers could not hide their admiration at the entire party mood created by the Shujaa boys, as some joined in for a jig while others snapped every moment on their smartphones as they nodded their heads to the rhythm of drums and horns.
A new team, made up of six rookies and a new technical bench delivered the Olympic ticket for a third consecutive time, and with an assured performance and an outstanding 17-12 victory over South Africa.
“For me, this has happened before but for the other boys, this is a first time experience for them. We are delighted and elated. Honestly, beyond words, this is humbling for us as a team. It has now ignited even more fire for us to achieve more,” co-captain Vincent Onyala told Capital Sports.
He added; “We are hugely elated as a team. For most of the boys, they were telling me, they had never even been to a quarter final. Now we are back home with medals on our necks. This has really motivated us to want to achieve more.”
The team was welcomed back home by Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) officials led by chairman Sasha Mutai.
Head coach Kevin ‘Bling’ Wambua was equally elated with the reception accorded to the team, saying they were rewarded for belief and hard work.
“The reception has been good and it means the boys did something good to the nation. I am happy and proud of their performance. I am really happy about this,” he said.
Wambua added; “We had a dream and we were bold as far as it was concerned. We worked hard, the boys put in a shift, believed and delivered.”
