At one time , in the 1960`s, Kenya`s hockey team was a power-house on
the world`s sporting stage. It combined the talents of young men who
initially learned their craft on the playing fields of India and
Pakistan.........and schools like St.. Stanislaus, Bombay.......St.
Joseph`s, Bangalore and St.Pauls Belgaum.were incubators of young
talent.....also were home grown goan boys like Hilary & Leo Fernandes,
Edgar and Egbert of Nairobi, Silu Fernandes also of Nairobi and Sikh
Union players Surjeet Singh Jr., Avtar Singh.& Hardial Singh who
eventuallymoved from player to Manager of the national side. Also
included were young men from the Sir Ali Muslim Sports club of Nairobi
I do remember while I was in college at St. Xaviers, Bombay in
1963 watching a touring Kenya national side play a series of
exhibition matches against various combination of Indian national sides
in preparation for the Olympics in 1964. At the BPHA field which was
the ultimate venue in western India........the Kenya side surprised the
Bombay hockey audience when they outplayed the Indian side presented to
them.
The popular stands were filled with a lot of goan fans from the
near-by Dhobi Talao who were expecting a side of African (black ) players.
There were comments like......." but these are Sikhs and Goans "......
However the fine standard of play , dribbling and passing was a delight
to watch................ including Alu Mendonca`s trade mark angling and
powerful on - the - run centering to the inside forwards !
