Kenya’s trailblazers land a deal to train in North America

Carole Joseph at the Panari / CHARLENE MALWA

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Kenya Ice Lion forward Carol Joseph says the opportunity to train in North America through the Black Girl Hockey movement is not just a dream come true but a breakthrough moment for Kenyan women in ice hockey.

Joseph and her teammates, forward Hanaan Ali and defender Chumbana Likiza, have been awarded a fully-paid weeklong training scholarship courtesy of former professional Soraya Tinker.

The programme, dedicated to empowering women of colour in hockey, offers the Kenyan players a rare chance to skate and train in a region where the sport is deeply embedded in the culture.

“This opportunity is one of the greatest in our history of Ice hockey. To have this kind of exposure and training where ice hockey is a way of life is the kind of thing we only watched on TV. Now we get to experience it ourselves, and that means everything,” said Joseph.

"With this, we will learn not only how to play but coach as well which is something I am most interested in. I look forward to bringing the lessons back home and having more women on the rink."

The camp, which will run in mid-June, comes just before the close of the local season on June 25, with the league's final fixture set for June 12.

"We are set to have a women-only session this month and embark on it once the next season resumes after a month," she added.

The Ice Lion squad is using the experience as both a launchpad and learning curve as they sharpen for two major continental targets: the African Cup set for South Africa and the inaugural Dream Nation Cup scheduled for next year.

The scholarship signals a deeper message to young girls dreaming of a future on the ice, while both tournaments represent bold steps for a team still navigating its grassroots beginnings.

“This isn’t just about us three,” said Joseph. “It’s about every young girl who picks up a hockey stick in Kenya. If they see us training out there and competing out there, maybe they’ll believe they can too.”

Access to gear has long been one of the biggest challenges for ice hockey in Kenya, with most players relying on shared or donated equipment.

Joseph believes the training camp will also help them learn best practices around equipment care, strength and conditioning, and game strategy—skills they can bring back to local rinks.

“There’s so much to learn, even off the ice,” she said. “We’ll soak up everything we can, and when we return, we’ll not only be better players but mentors, too.”

Meanwhile, Kenya ice Lions bagged the Madaraka Day Cup trophy after beating Team World in the fifth edition of the event at the Panari Solar Ice rink on Monday. Team World comprised players from Canada and Finland, the top ice hockey nations globally.