2005 Kenya Cup campaign begins.
Quins started the 2005 on a bright start by thumping Nondescripts 53 - 18 in the first match of the season. Nondies who have bought players into their camp including some from Quins raced to a bright start and even had the audacity to go into the break leading.
However Quins shifted into gear and came back a charging side and tore the white shirts to pieces. They ran in tries at will with Sidney Ashioya, Felix Ochieng, Alan Makaka and Pascal Wetukha time and time again forcing the the Jamhuri based side to back pedal. ln the end it was song and joy in the stands as Quins grabbed 5 points for the win which included a bonus point to perch themselves at the top of the log.
Nondies for all their money could buy conceded that they lost to a SURE, STRONG, SUPERIOR QUINS.
It was all gloom for the Red Lion as their second team were also on the receiving end going down 12-3 to the Quins seconds. Well done lads keep going all the way.
A truly memorable weekend for the Quin it was. A good crowd turned up at the ground over the weekend and it was good to see long lost faces back on the terraces. Keep coming people. We need you!
Next game on Saturday at the Railway club vs. Mwamba.
Have a good week.
ONCE A QUIN ALWAYS A QUIN
TO BE A QUIN IS A WAY OF LIFE
A QUIN NEVER GETS DRUNK, JUST GETS TIRED
Cheers People
Herbert Mwachiro...
PS: 1. Our Catholic Brethren and Sisters we are together. 2. Charles and Camilla enjoy the wedding night and stock up on viagra.3. The Quins Queens have begun training.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Mambo Yote - 13th January 2010
A visitor just landed in Kenya would imagine that Kenya as a country is in the middle of a serious crisis with all the negative news one reads in the media. True true they wouldn't be far off from the truth but the reality is that we are a developing crisis nation (DCN). It seems that Kenya is permanently in a state of crisis. We thrive on political, social, environmental crisis on a day to day basis. If there is no crisis then something is not right.
Lets take this week for instance. Our daily bread crisis especially in Nairobi is traffic. Traveling within Nairobi from east to west or north to south is a nightmare. For one the roads just cant cope with the volume of vehicles in this city. We are buying more vehicles faster than we can add tarmac. There is no vehicle recession in Kenya and even if Toyota recall cars there will be no impact in Kenya. Talking to the traffic police who lately seem to have become spectators in traffic matters one officer told me that the road works being carried out and the new KBK's on the road simply means they are stranded in what they can do. I for one believe the traffic police have no coordination whatsoever in how they control traffic. They are an integral part of the problem. I will not even dare mention matatu's and buses in this Nairobi as they deserve a whole article on their own. To sum it up transport in Nairobi (and by extension Kenya) in a national crisis and nightmare.
Matters governance and the government is caught up in all sorts of scandals that keep it quite busy at taxpayers expense. This weeks leading soaps revolved between Free Primary Education (FPE) which is proving very costly and the never ending maize scandal that keeps rearing its ugly head every now and then. Children in the public schools are inevitably the casualties in the FPE crisis which I'm sure we shall feel the impact in years to come and that will inevitably have damaged our intellectual and educational capacity in some form or another. Before we have been producing half baked students now we are threatening to make them raw/uncooked if this matters are not addressed urgently.
For a country that some months back was begging for food we seem to have too much maize around and this maize is in the hands of the wrong people. A sweet deal here and there it seems our national economic appetite for maize is quite high. You apply for 1000 bags of maize to sell you get given 20,000 bags. You don't apply for anything but if you are connected but you get 5,000 bags to sell. Somehow the value chain is long and the various buyers and middlemen all very well connected make an easy buck and by the time the consumer gets to buy the maize it is already a costly item. And because the consumer has no choice they just end up buying this highly priced product. Meanwhile as a result of those sweetheart deals a few more mansions in Runda have sprung up and more tax free Prados, Lexus, Mercs and Range Rover Sports have landed in Mombasa and are being driven around by busybodies enjoying maizy benefits.
There seems to be too much milk in the country at present. Not too very long ago there was a drought and cows were dying in their numbers as there was a lack of pasture. The brief El Nino rains of December seem to have transformed things very much and now cows are producing too much milk to our annoyance. Too much in fact the milk packaging companies cant buy the stuff as there’s just too much of it. New KCC (new as in?)the largest milk buying organisation in Kenya has been turning farmers away and this has seen milk going too waste and being poured by the roadsides. What such waste for a country that was with begging bowls a few months ago. We are now showing our extravagance. Surely by now milk prices should have been reduced so that those who had dropped milk from their diets can resume this vital bit of nutrition. This would at least push more volumes in the market and absorb a bit more milk from the supply line. Instead there have have been accusations and counter accusations flying all round. Some cheese experts have appeared on the scene claiming to have new revolutionary methods of producing cheese from sour milk. We surely are not serious!
Flowers galore this week it is and predictably as it happens every year the flower firms are on strike in Naivasha and other flower producing areas. For those who believe in Valentines the price of the rose stem has suddenly shot up to an unbelievable price. One can buy more food than flowers with a bunch of roses. This is a indeed a red flower crisis that occurs once a year.
Don’t try getting sick soon as the public hospitals have exhausted all their stocks of medicine. Apparently there is no money to buy drugs. Though more and more GK VW Passats keep flying past us overlapping on our roads in total disregard of the traffic act and the ten commandments.
Lets move to sports and its no better as this week news filters out that AFC Leopards who are playing a continental match tomorrow against an Ethiopian team only had 8 registered players in the competition. Apparently they failed to beat the deadline due to serious differences that were threatening the club. I don’t know if I’m being a pessimist (for today only) but it is only in Kenya that we manage to do things very very wrong. How can a team that is preparing to play an international tournament not have registered its players in that competition? Luckily for them having the right friends in high places quickly resolved that but seriously that’s not the way to do business.
Thus article is dedicated to a good friend and relative of mine Adnan Ali who passed away tragically last night in a motorcycle accident on our highways. I say rest in peace bro as your loss is too hard for us to fathom at the moment. Our hearts cry for you and our thoughts and prayers are with your family. Aunty Alice, Ali, Sakina we are together. May the Good Lord be with you Adnan.
Lets take this week for instance. Our daily bread crisis especially in Nairobi is traffic. Traveling within Nairobi from east to west or north to south is a nightmare. For one the roads just cant cope with the volume of vehicles in this city. We are buying more vehicles faster than we can add tarmac. There is no vehicle recession in Kenya and even if Toyota recall cars there will be no impact in Kenya. Talking to the traffic police who lately seem to have become spectators in traffic matters one officer told me that the road works being carried out and the new KBK's on the road simply means they are stranded in what they can do. I for one believe the traffic police have no coordination whatsoever in how they control traffic. They are an integral part of the problem. I will not even dare mention matatu's and buses in this Nairobi as they deserve a whole article on their own. To sum it up transport in Nairobi (and by extension Kenya) in a national crisis and nightmare.
Matters governance and the government is caught up in all sorts of scandals that keep it quite busy at taxpayers expense. This weeks leading soaps revolved between Free Primary Education (FPE) which is proving very costly and the never ending maize scandal that keeps rearing its ugly head every now and then. Children in the public schools are inevitably the casualties in the FPE crisis which I'm sure we shall feel the impact in years to come and that will inevitably have damaged our intellectual and educational capacity in some form or another. Before we have been producing half baked students now we are threatening to make them raw/uncooked if this matters are not addressed urgently.
For a country that some months back was begging for food we seem to have too much maize around and this maize is in the hands of the wrong people. A sweet deal here and there it seems our national economic appetite for maize is quite high. You apply for 1000 bags of maize to sell you get given 20,000 bags. You don't apply for anything but if you are connected but you get 5,000 bags to sell. Somehow the value chain is long and the various buyers and middlemen all very well connected make an easy buck and by the time the consumer gets to buy the maize it is already a costly item. And because the consumer has no choice they just end up buying this highly priced product. Meanwhile as a result of those sweetheart deals a few more mansions in Runda have sprung up and more tax free Prados, Lexus, Mercs and Range Rover Sports have landed in Mombasa and are being driven around by busybodies enjoying maizy benefits.
There seems to be too much milk in the country at present. Not too very long ago there was a drought and cows were dying in their numbers as there was a lack of pasture. The brief El Nino rains of December seem to have transformed things very much and now cows are producing too much milk to our annoyance. Too much in fact the milk packaging companies cant buy the stuff as there’s just too much of it. New KCC (new as in?)the largest milk buying organisation in Kenya has been turning farmers away and this has seen milk going too waste and being poured by the roadsides. What such waste for a country that was with begging bowls a few months ago. We are now showing our extravagance. Surely by now milk prices should have been reduced so that those who had dropped milk from their diets can resume this vital bit of nutrition. This would at least push more volumes in the market and absorb a bit more milk from the supply line. Instead there have have been accusations and counter accusations flying all round. Some cheese experts have appeared on the scene claiming to have new revolutionary methods of producing cheese from sour milk. We surely are not serious!
Flowers galore this week it is and predictably as it happens every year the flower firms are on strike in Naivasha and other flower producing areas. For those who believe in Valentines the price of the rose stem has suddenly shot up to an unbelievable price. One can buy more food than flowers with a bunch of roses. This is a indeed a red flower crisis that occurs once a year.
Don’t try getting sick soon as the public hospitals have exhausted all their stocks of medicine. Apparently there is no money to buy drugs. Though more and more GK VW Passats keep flying past us overlapping on our roads in total disregard of the traffic act and the ten commandments.
Lets move to sports and its no better as this week news filters out that AFC Leopards who are playing a continental match tomorrow against an Ethiopian team only had 8 registered players in the competition. Apparently they failed to beat the deadline due to serious differences that were threatening the club. I don’t know if I’m being a pessimist (for today only) but it is only in Kenya that we manage to do things very very wrong. How can a team that is preparing to play an international tournament not have registered its players in that competition? Luckily for them having the right friends in high places quickly resolved that but seriously that’s not the way to do business.
Thus article is dedicated to a good friend and relative of mine Adnan Ali who passed away tragically last night in a motorcycle accident on our highways. I say rest in peace bro as your loss is too hard for us to fathom at the moment. Our hearts cry for you and our thoughts and prayers are with your family. Aunty Alice, Ali, Sakina we are together. May the Good Lord be with you Adnan.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Mambo Yote - 6th February 2010
The year is on as we are well into February. This is the shortest
month of the year and it goes pretty fast. Its a relief when it comes
as January is one month everybody would like to forget. Right now I'm
sitting in some cold place with temperatures at 3 degrees yet today
theres a bit of sun. The men are in heavy coats but the women are in
skirts, tights and boots. Can't understand how they are not freezing.
I'm dressed like an Eskimo and everybody surely can tell I don't
belong here.
month of the year and it goes pretty fast. Its a relief when it comes
as January is one month everybody would like to forget. Right now I'm
sitting in some cold place with temperatures at 3 degrees yet today
theres a bit of sun. The men are in heavy coats but the women are in
skirts, tights and boots. Can't understand how they are not freezing.
I'm dressed like an Eskimo and everybody surely can tell I don't
belong here.
Anyway the Africa Cup of Nations came and went and congrats to Egypt.
In the end they were the deserved winners. The young guns from Ghana
tried and deserve some accolades too. Somehow despite all the hype of
the tournament I and many other sports fans felt cheated. Where were
Samuel E'too, Didier Drogba, Kolo Toure, Alex Song and Yaya Toure
during this tournament? Their names were on team sheets but they
simply never appeared. And when they did it surely wasn't the same
guys we watch week in week out. They were a disaster and did not play
any of the quality soccer they show with their respective clubs.
If it was a chance to come home and be real Africans then they
succeeded completely. From what we saw they completely killed the
hopes of an African team winning the 2010 World Cup with those native
displays. Ghana may have a chance of progressing but its a long shot.
Nigeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Algeria we pray for a change of
fortunes. Maybe it was camouflage and the real performance will come
out in June. As for South Africa the hosts, that is what they are -
hosts.
Kenyans spirits were almost lifted when it became apparent that our
own MacDonald Mariga would be joining Manchester City for almost a
Kshs 1 billion transfer fee. Euphoria lit the local sports scene as
one of our one would finally be playing in the English Premier League.
Many were ready to abandon their original teams and support Mariga.
Alas that was not to be and the family move to Lavington from
Racecourse was put on hold as the British Home Office denied Mariga a
work permit on some flimsy excuse that Kenya was not in the top 70
ranked soccer nations. How ridiculous as one would ask whether they
were signing Kenya's Harambee Stars or a talent from Kenya. No wonder
Roberto Mancini was livid on Sky Sports today as he couldn't
understand how the Home Office could deny Kenya's best player a work
permit. Well Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan is having the last laugh as
he swiftly signed the Kenyan who made his debut midweek for Inter in a
1-0 win over Fiorentina. Never mind that he came on in the 89th
minute.
Kenya Rugby 7's are in Wellington, New Zealand for the IRB Sevens and
played 3 lost one to England but still qualified for the main cup
quarters where they will play Samoa tomorrow. Good luck Kenya 7's, win
the cup and make us proud. With Kayange, Injera, Ashioya, Asego, Weru
etc, who can stop Kenya? (Update: Kenya bow out in Plate Semis 26-17
to Australia. Earlier they lost 14-12 to Samoa.)
Back home we seem to be on track with the new constitution. One must
ask it is the peoples choice or the MP's choice? I just hope that
whatever the outcome Kenya will be a better place to live in free of
corruption and less insecurity. Also lets just plant more trees as we
are in dire need of forest cover. We should be at 10% and not the
current 2%.
Spare a thought for Minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere who has just lost his
parliamentary seat in an election petition. My sympathies go to his
immediate clansmen as they seem to be the only ones shedding tears at
the moment. Our national concern is whether the new ferries will
arrive in Mombasa as scheduled or that has to wait till the
by-election? The people and economy of South Coast surely deserve
better. This is the time to put somebody who will really be in charge
of the transport sector in Kenya. That madness has to be brought under
control.
See you and have a good weekend. I'm off to catch my train to Seven Sisters.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Taking You Back - Quinzone 7th January 2005
A happy new year 2005 to all you Quins out there in the Diaspora.
Trust you had an equally joyous and wonderful Christmas.
2004. The sooner we leave it behind the better.
We begun the year the on top of the mountain and ended it with 2 trophies in the cabinet (more than three quarters of the other clubs around) these being the Black Rock Trophy and the Driftwood 7's. One must say that no other Sevens team showed class, polish and finesse the way the Quins team that won the Driftwood did. A superlative performance that would have been the envy of many top international sevens sides was seen that weekend they won. Hats off to them.
A successful tour to Zimbabwe (a first ever) got the club off to a roaring start early in the year. Some high quality games and excellent performances by some of the new blood were positive factors that emanated from that tour.
Our season was one of so near yet so far. The team being so young having seen the retirements/departures of 15 players from the previous years all conquering squad fought tooth and nail in all the competitions they took part this year. Semi Finals and Finals were where we camped but the top prize just seemed to slip through our fingers. But nevertheless the boys deserve a big pat on their backs.
Our club coach Tom Webster Odundo added more feathers to his cap by being named the Kenya National 15's coach. (Why Quins?) We wish him all the best.
The singles club lost more members and curiously all from the Kondele Axis by the Lake Victoria. These were Tom Webster Ochieng Odundo, Gabriel John Ohanya Ouko and Edward Jones Kinyany Oloo. The Mt. Kenya Mafia numbers suffered a serious blow here as the "Wanjikus" were carted off to Dala, Pand Pieri, Kisumu Royale and Octopussy. Roger Akena, Kiragu Ngunya and Pedro Anampiu still carrying the singles flag. Paul Odera was last seen proposing to one F Brown?
Joe "Zangi" Onsando made a welcome return back to Kenya after a two year stint in Zimbabwe. Other returnees were Charley Angawa from Yugoslavia and Oburru Charger from Cuba. Welcome back guys.
Gordon Argo made a couple of his traditional stopovers in Nairobi and boy o boy were those weekends great.
Allan Makaka one of Quins star players manage to land a successful rugby playing professional contract. We wish him all the best in the UK where he is based. (How much did we sell him for?).
Nicol Kabugua (way out in Perth, Australia) finally became a father of a very beautiful baby girl. Congrats boy. A long time coming indeed. Your visit here last March was appreciated. Gather that's when the seed was planted.
So what's in store for 2005?
Well the Quins dinner long overdue (again) and eagerly awaited will be on the cards.
The return of Quins as the dominant rugby team in Kenya is a must for this season. Lets be the TSUNAMI of Kenya Rugby
A more family friendly social club will definitely be in place. A fun day will be scheduled sometime later in the year. Meanwhile Barbeques will be more common and food in place.
The first Quiz Nite (hopefully) will be on Thursday 28th January 2005. Details will follow. But in the meantime club night is as always on THURSDAY.
Membership categories will reappear so be on the look out and be a bonafide Quins member (Strong, Sure and Superior categories). The fairer sex (Ladies) will be eligible for Strong as well and the kids, teens, tiny tots will be in the Sure Category. More details to follow.
The DSTV at the club needs a donor/sponsor who will keep it going for the year. Its important as most of the younger players prefer watching top class rugby at Quins and this will keep them here instead of them going elsewhere. Year subscription for DSTV is Ksh 72,000.
The club needs your presence for only seven important days this year. So please all and bring the lot be there on MONDAY< TUESDAY< WEDNESDAY < THURSDAY< FRIDAY< SATURDAY<SUNDAY.
Please forward ideas on monthly rewards for young players, the team and things like that (other ideas as long as within the legal limits welcome as well. This is one club that's full of lawyers). Its going to be one long season and we need to keep our boys happy all through and not risk them getting bored.
Anyone with suggestions on how we can harness Solar Energy to reduce some of our costs please speak out LOUDLY.
And among others finally we should see the start of our Ladies rugby side the Quins Queens (Double Q). A coach will be required so forward your applications ASAP and training days will be as Normal to start with. (Ken Thimba are you there?)
Otherwise lets have an organised and structured year. As stated earlier our aim is to be the leading 21st Century club this side of the Equator and above the Limpopo river. Attached to this QUINZONE is a message from the Chairman as well as the fixtures for 2005 so that your calendar is well organised for the year. And do forget to link into WWW.QUINS.CO.KE for useful reading and regular updates and articles.
Lets bring in all the Quins from far and wide back into the fold. Gather them from every hole and bring them back to the club (or at least the QUINZONE). Our enemies are sharpening their knives. We need to sharpen our claws and be ready for them. AND ENEMIES WE HAVE BIG ONES.
Have a good year people and all the best in 2005 to the greatest rugby club on earth. KENYA HARLEQUIN FC
ONCE A QUIN ALWAYS A QUIN
TO BE A QUIN IS A WAY OF LIFE
A QUIN NEVER GETS DRUNK, JUST GETS TIRED
Cheers People
Herbert Mwachiro... (Bomas Katiba Watch)
PS: See below other contributors for year 2005 so far.
Ken Mulli
Guys,
The following have pledged to contribute some money to enable us reach our target of Ksh. 100,000.00, which is the balance for the scrum machine;
Charles Katee Paul Nyamodi, Chris Ochieng, Peter Ocholla, Jesse Onsando, Gordon Anampiu, Phillip Ochieng, Pater Anampiu, Ken Thimba, Kiragu, Jeff Anampiu, George Kuria, E, Siganga, Andrew Waititu , Joe Onsando and Ken Muli.
The pledges we have are far from the target so we are still appealing to more members and supporters to come forward and donate something.
Cheers and see you on Thursday at the club.
This is what James Juma AB (Seychellois tourist) added..........
If they can sing the 'Zulu Warrior' song and strip down to their smalls at the bar, then we can have a ladies team
This is what Gordon Anampiu (Aspiring Formula 1 driver) had to say.......
LEONARD! STOCK UP THE FRIDGE. It looks like there will be hundreds of Quins
at the bar tonight!
Regards
Gordon Anampiu
This is what Betty ( Captain Quins Queens) had to say..............
Happy New Year to all,
What happened to the suggestion of the Quins Ladies
side?
'wanna-be flyhalf'
This is what Paulo (captain 2003 and 2004) had to say...............
Great article,
I can see the excuses I have been giving myself for
not doing this and that for the club. The article has
really got me present to what makes quins such a great
club and I remember my first year at quins and meeting
uncle jesse, oburu and papa tim. They got me so drunk
on a Thursday night that my mother wanted to kick me
out of rugby. What was even more valuable for me were
the old war stories they told about visiting teams and
I would listen wide eyed with rapt attention as they
told the same story over and over and again and I
never got tired of listening to them. I look at myself
now and see that not going to the club and training
and being with the younger members has denied quins
the invaluable experience of what makes us such a
great club. I have also missed the value of learning
from the younger members.
What quins can count on me this year is to put in the
hard hours in training and to be active in the
development of the club both on and off the pitch, to
cement what is already an open secret which is we are
the premiere rugbly club in east and central africa.
Cheers guys,
Dede
Mambo Yote - 22nd January 2010
This is a January that has not lacked drama here in Kenya. So much has happened in the three weeks since we began this decade. Firstly we crossed the new year and the powers that be as is custom promised us Kenyans many many things. Then the action began with matatus going on a three day strike that paralysed Nairobi's crude transport system. Truth of the matter is we were happy that the bad habits exhibited by matatus were nowhere to bee seen so it was blisssfully a well mannered and cultured society. That myth was strenuously shattered when as a counter measure the ' Walking Nation' ignored the matatus and everybody who had a vehicle, car and/or four wheel contraption suddenly brought them out as a countermeasure to the strike. Though the Christmas season had finished the petrol money had not??? And there began our crisis. We couldn't move at all. Nairobi had the mother of all traffic jams and it dawned on us that 90% of all cars in Kenya are actually in Nairobi. We spent hours on the road getting to our varius domiciles/residences only to start the journey back to work. There are too few roads in Nairobi and plenty cars. Even the police were shocked and had no clue how to control the traffic as it was just a gridlock of monstrous proportions. Thieves couldnt steal cars as they couldnt make clean getaways with them either. Thank heavens the matatu strike ended or they were too broke to continue and sanity and bad manners returned to our roads. We are really caught between a rock and a hard place here.
With one fiasco over we were reminded that the education sector in this country is one big circus as free primary education made some millionaires and suddenly once again we shockingly realised and learnt thaat not all who finish primary school will go to Form one. So where do the 400,000 Std 8 dropouts go? Do they simply vanish or do they start being socially and economically self-empowered? This is a huge number of idlers we are creating every year. Meanwhile primary school headteachers are being transfered and secondary head of schools are hawking Form 1 places. This is sad indeed as we are playing with the future of many a young Kenyan here. The Ministry of Planning decided not to release the 2009 Census results after they shockingly gathered that the population of North Eastern had increased by 140%. Surely those guys then never did a census count in Eastleigh and realised that the population of a certain neighbouring contry is decreasing by 140%.
Thankfully the African Cup of Nations began in the second week of January and kept the broke long suffering Kenyan of January busy. One thing former Harambeee Stars Coach Antoine Hey did us a favour is that he made sure we did not qualify otherwise we would have been seriously embarrased in Angola. We are still playing futta as those guys giants and minnows are playing 'serious soccer. Quickly we forgot about Arsenal, Chelsea, Man CityUnited, Liverpol and Spurs and dual citizenship took root as we became Ivorians, Nigerians, Ghanians, Cameroonians, Togoloese (briefly), Angolans, Zambians, Malawians and Beninese. Somehow no-one wanted to become Egyptian, Tuinisian or Algerian. I suspect it was more out of fear than anything else especially when Egypt are clinically ruthless in dispatching their opponents. Meanwhile Harambee Stars went to Yemen to play a friendly and came back with 3 goals as a free duty free gift though they managed to score one in a meaningless aimless friendly. The Africa Cup of Nations will last till people get their Januaary wages/payslips/salaries at the end of the month.
The Kenyan politician meanwhile is taking advantage of all those sideshows and preparing a new constitution and planning for a referendum while Kenyans are thoroughly broke and not interested as they have other serious worries on their minds. Lesson learnt here is when you want to achieve something without people noticing do it in January and you'll succeed. News in today is that both ODM and PNU have agreed on a purely Presidential system. Well done to them but only problem is that even if they agreed on a monarchy and declared Kenya a kingdom that will have a King and Queen plus a Royal Family, no-one would really have noticed till after April when they will have financially recovered and preparing for the 20110 World Cup. This would mean it would still go unnoticed until July when sanity will have returned.
On a more serious note our hearts bleed for the pleople of Haiti and we pray that the tragedy that befell them may be handled with the urgency and support that it deserves fromthe global focal point. The people of Haiti are in our prayers and so are the people of Kenya.
I will from time to time post articles that I have written years back just as way of ensuring they are shared by a wider audience and are not lost. Hope you will appreciate.
Cheers and stay well.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Round Up
A sad incident was to engulf the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations as gunmen attacked the bus carrying the Togo national team in the Angolan enclave of Cabinda. The attack which occured on Friday in the oil-rich enclave which has seen separatists in recent years wage an armed war against the Angolan government as indeed fatal as three people died and several were seriously injured. The Togolese players had to hide under the bus seats as their bus was under fire from the rebels. Watch Tawa condemns the attack on the inocent sportsmen and at the same time sends condolences to the families of the bereaved and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured players and officials. The trauma of the attack is not only felt by the Togo nation but by the rest of the African continent as well. Sadly the tournament will miss the presence of Emmanuel Adebayor and his Togolese teammates understandably through no fault of their own.
The western media did not waste time in engaiging in negativity as once again Africa was potrayed as the dark primitive war infested continent. There may have been a bit of naivety in the travel plans of the Togo football team but that did not warrant all the negative comments showered on them by the western media and selfish European football managers who (some of them) outrageiously called for the scrapping/cancelling of the Africa Cup of Nations 2010. If one looks at history no one recalls the 1972 Munich Olympic games being scrapped nor will the 2012 London Olympic games be cancelled despite the UK being hit by terror attacks not too long ago.
South Africa as the host of the 2010 Socccer World Cup suddenly find themselves in the unfavourable spotlight and one wonders how many security personnel will be accompanying the non-African teams to the 2010 Soccer bonanza. It will almost be the World Military Soccer Cup with private armies invading South Africa to protect their national soccer teams at all costs. Watch Tawa asks that teams to exercise restraint and let the hosts do their job with the security. I'm sure no-one wants to see the party spolit.
Soccerwise Angola fluffed a 4 goal winning margin to draw 4-4 with Mali in the tournament opener. Barcelona's Seydou Keita showed his class and later on was joined by Sevilla's Frederic Kanoute in dampening the hosts party. The home crowd were stunned but the neutrals could never have asked for a better game with 8 goals. Coach Stephen Keshi eventually managed a smile at the end of the game as his Angolan counterpart was left fuming and talking angrily to himself.
Malawi coach Kinnah Phiri could not have wished for a better start as his charges long written off in the tournament hit Algeria 3-0. Algeria who are 2010 South Africa bound were shell-shocked by the Flames who had Russel Mwafulirwa, Ivis Kafoteka and Davie Banda to thank for the goals. 26 years ago Algeria thumped Malawi 3-0 in the same competition and so what a reversal of roles it was this time.
Millionares (actually Billionaires by Kenyan standards) Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou, Aruna Dindane, Bakary Kone, Kolo and Yaya Toure together Emmanuel Eboue could do little and failed to breakdown the resilient Burkina Faso defence with the scoreline remaining 0-0 at the end. Not the start the Ivorians wanted.
On the local rugby front Kenya Harlequin Wazee thumped the Kenya Harlequin Vijana 40-33 in an exciting game at the RFUEA grounds over the weekend. The game officially marked Quins entry into the 2010 season. Veterans Ham Onsando, Edward Kinyany, Peter Ochola and Thomas Odundo taught the youngsters a lesson or two in the lovely oval ball game of rugby. The next encounter is an eagerly awaited one and the many months we wait will definitely not be in vain. The party that followed was well attended and executed. Law breakers were absent but heart breakers were plenty.
The Kenya Sevens team are preparing for the next two rounds of the IRB Sevens in Wellington and Las Vegas. Watch Tawa wishes them well and encourages them to continue carrying the Kenya rugby flag high. I hope the two guys I met at Rafiki's on Saturday night made it back to the camp in good time before the coach woke up to find them missing.
The local rugby season kicks off on the 23rd of January with the Impala Floodlit and good luck to all the teams taking part.
News just in Manchester City 4 Blackburn 1. City leapfrog my team Tottenham and now sit in fourth place.(Not good not good). Carlos Tevez with hat-trick. The boy is in a rich vein of form.
Congratulations to Henry Emuye for being re-elected Chairman KCB Rugby. Congrats to Mathare United for their landmark Kshs 20 million annual soccer sponsorship received from KDN. And finally congratulations to all the Kenyan swimmers who have raked in 10medals so far at the ongoing African Swimming Confederation (CANA) Zone 3 and 4 competition in Nairobi.
The western media did not waste time in engaiging in negativity as once again Africa was potrayed as the dark primitive war infested continent. There may have been a bit of naivety in the travel plans of the Togo football team but that did not warrant all the negative comments showered on them by the western media and selfish European football managers who (some of them) outrageiously called for the scrapping/cancelling of the Africa Cup of Nations 2010. If one looks at history no one recalls the 1972 Munich Olympic games being scrapped nor will the 2012 London Olympic games be cancelled despite the UK being hit by terror attacks not too long ago.
South Africa as the host of the 2010 Socccer World Cup suddenly find themselves in the unfavourable spotlight and one wonders how many security personnel will be accompanying the non-African teams to the 2010 Soccer bonanza. It will almost be the World Military Soccer Cup with private armies invading South Africa to protect their national soccer teams at all costs. Watch Tawa asks that teams to exercise restraint and let the hosts do their job with the security. I'm sure no-one wants to see the party spolit.
Soccerwise Angola fluffed a 4 goal winning margin to draw 4-4 with Mali in the tournament opener. Barcelona's Seydou Keita showed his class and later on was joined by Sevilla's Frederic Kanoute in dampening the hosts party. The home crowd were stunned but the neutrals could never have asked for a better game with 8 goals. Coach Stephen Keshi eventually managed a smile at the end of the game as his Angolan counterpart was left fuming and talking angrily to himself.
Malawi coach Kinnah Phiri could not have wished for a better start as his charges long written off in the tournament hit Algeria 3-0. Algeria who are 2010 South Africa bound were shell-shocked by the Flames who had Russel Mwafulirwa, Ivis Kafoteka and Davie Banda to thank for the goals. 26 years ago Algeria thumped Malawi 3-0 in the same competition and so what a reversal of roles it was this time.
Millionares (actually Billionaires by Kenyan standards) Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou, Aruna Dindane, Bakary Kone, Kolo and Yaya Toure together Emmanuel Eboue could do little and failed to breakdown the resilient Burkina Faso defence with the scoreline remaining 0-0 at the end. Not the start the Ivorians wanted.
On the local rugby front Kenya Harlequin Wazee thumped the Kenya Harlequin Vijana 40-33 in an exciting game at the RFUEA grounds over the weekend. The game officially marked Quins entry into the 2010 season. Veterans Ham Onsando, Edward Kinyany, Peter Ochola and Thomas Odundo taught the youngsters a lesson or two in the lovely oval ball game of rugby. The next encounter is an eagerly awaited one and the many months we wait will definitely not be in vain. The party that followed was well attended and executed. Law breakers were absent but heart breakers were plenty.
The Kenya Sevens team are preparing for the next two rounds of the IRB Sevens in Wellington and Las Vegas. Watch Tawa wishes them well and encourages them to continue carrying the Kenya rugby flag high. I hope the two guys I met at Rafiki's on Saturday night made it back to the camp in good time before the coach woke up to find them missing.
The local rugby season kicks off on the 23rd of January with the Impala Floodlit and good luck to all the teams taking part.
News just in Manchester City 4 Blackburn 1. City leapfrog my team Tottenham and now sit in fourth place.(Not good not good). Carlos Tevez with hat-trick. The boy is in a rich vein of form.
Congratulations to Henry Emuye for being re-elected Chairman KCB Rugby. Congrats to Mathare United for their landmark Kshs 20 million annual soccer sponsorship received from KDN. And finally congratulations to all the Kenyan swimmers who have raked in 10medals so far at the ongoing African Swimming Confederation (CANA) Zone 3 and 4 competition in Nairobi.
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