Sawt Falasteen - Kenya's Ice Lions skate to win on East Africa's only rink

Ice hockey only arrived in Kenya in 2006, after a group of bored Canadians set up the Nairobi rink -- but it was not until 2019 that a national federation was established.

Facing off against a bunch of amateurs from colder nations on the rink last week, Kenya's red-and-black-clad national team won their first title in a friendly league.

The victory came months after another triumph for the Ice Lions, which became only the fifth African team to be inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation.

Team captain Benjamin Mburu said this was a "huge step" towards reaching the Olympic Games.

"It shows us that we are doing the right thing, and we are going to get where we want to go," he told AFP.

When Mburu started playing nine years ago he quickly became utterly hooked on the "addictive" game.

"When you're on the ice, it's like being in a completely different world," he said.

The 30-year-old architect has seen the sport catch the attention of fellow Kenyans, with more and more fans packing into the rink.

"You can see the kids wanting it, you can see the hunger in them."

- 'Nothing for granted' -

But raw enthusiasm cannot overcome all difficulties. Setting aside the energy it takes to chill a rink near the equator where temperatures stay relatively warm all-year round, there is the high cost of training.

One session on the ice costs 12,000 Kenyan shillings ($92) and the team trains on the rink twice a week.

The Nairobi facility is also just a quarter of the size of an Olympic ice rink, so the team cannot play five-a-side -- as at the top level -- but three-versus-three, plus a goalkeeper.

Still, Canadian coach Tim Colby told AFP he was blown away by the determination of the team.

"They don't take anything for granted," he said. "They're very, very dedicated players."

Previously, players rotated pads, sticks and skates, until donations came in to fund their entry into competitions.

But the team and coach remain unpaid, training and playing in their spare time.

For youngsters aspiring to skate on the ice, the $10 cost for entry can be too steep for many.

Some Ice Lions regularly head to a car park in the city's business district where they can show put youngsters through their paces on concrete.

Even in roller skates, the youngsters were progressing faster than some Canadians, Colby said.

The team's next big test is in June, when they hope -- depending on funding -- to travel to South Africa. There, they will compete in the first-ever African Nations Cup of Ice Hockey, competing against teams from Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt.

Colby emphasised that one day Kenyan ice hockey players will compete in the Olympics.

"This isn't a flash in the pan," he added.

Carol Joseph, 28, currently the only woman on the team, agrees.

She said the support of the team was everything: "You never give up."

T.Samara--SF-PST