Kisumu Young Stars' head coach John Shivisi/ HANDOUT Kisumu Youngstars head coach John Shivisi believes years of patience and gradual development have prepared the club for life in the 2026 Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) Men’s Premier League.
Shivisi said the team’s rise was built on resilience developed through difficult moments, financial struggles and seasons where relegation fears threatened to derail the club. “We are not naïve enough to underestimate the level of the Premier League,” said Shivisi.
He acknowledged the challenge ahead but maintained confidence in the quality within his squad. Fresh from an impressive 2025 Super League campaign in which they lost only once in 20 matches, Kisumu Youngstars earned promotion ahead of Green Sharks after emerging as one of the division’s most consistent sides. Shivisi said the achievement reflected years of discipline, trust and collective belief rather than overnight success.
“The journey has been built on real patience, discipline and belief in each other. This is not something that happened overnight,” he said. The promotion appears even more remarkable considering the uncertainty surrounding the club during the 2024/2025 period. Shivisi admitted inconsistent performances, financial constraints, and fears of relegation to the National League nearly pushed the club backwards.
“We started with draws and almost questioned our abilities, but we kept believing, then the wins started coming, and they could not stop,” he said. Instead of relying on expensive signings, Shivisi credited the team’s rise to unity, discipline, and a tactical system fully embraced by the players.
“Our biggest strength was unity and discipline. The players understood their roles in every phase of the game and trusted the system,” he said. The technical bench focused heavily on fitness, mentality and tactical organisation while building a culture centred on collective success.
Shivisi also pointed to defeats as defining moments that tested the team’s mentality, saying the players responded calmly and used setbacks as learning opportunities. “The players stayed calm, continued to believe and remained committed to the game plan,” he said.
One of the turning points came in November 2025 when Kisumu Youngstars defeated Kenyatta University and Park Road Tigers in consecutive Nairobi fixtures on Match-days 13 and 14.
“For a very long time, we had struggled to win in Nairobi, then we won twice in one weekend. The jinx had been broken,” said Shivisi. He said those victories convinced him the squad had matured beyond being mere promotion hopefuls. The success also reinforced Kisumu’s strong hockey culture, which Shivisi credited for continuously producing talent through schools, universities and community competition.
“We have so many people in Kisumu who played hockey in their youth and now continue playing as masters. That means young people grow up around the sport and fall in love with it early,” he said.
Youngstars have embraced that philosophy by integrating high school and university players into the club’s development structure. “It has always been our philosophy to create opportunities where young players can grow and compete at a high level,” Shivisi said.
Preparation for the Premier League is now focused on improving fitness, tactical awareness and mental strength, with Shivisi warning that the top flight will demand quicker decision-making and greater consistency.
"The standards will be much higher,” he said. Still, he insisted the team would remain disciplined, hardworking and fearless. “We may respect every opponent, but we shall never fear anyone,” Shivisi added.
Despite operating with limited financial resources, the club has retained the core squad that secured promotion while making targeted additions to strengthen key areas. “We do not want to enter the league just to participate,” Shivisi said, adding that although survival remains the immediate goal, the club believes a top-half finish is achievable with consistency.
For Shivisi, the promotion is a collective triumph shared by the entire Kisumu hockey community. “This promotion belongs to everyone; the players, supporters, schools, coaches, former players, sponsors and the wider Kisumu community,” he said while appealing for continued support.
