Kenyan players set for South Africans battle in polo action

Afrisend's Phylippa Gulden and Gem Forest's Simon Muchene, Chairman of Nairobi Polo Club, fight during the 12-Goal Kenya International Championships at Nairobi Polo Club. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Kenyan players are ready to battle South Africans in a 16-goal Kenya International match at Nairobi Polo Club on Sunday. 

The Kenyan team has Casimir Gross, Jamie Murray, Craig Millar and Archie Voorspuy, all handicaps 6, 4.5, 3.5 and 3.5, respectively.

Casimir is Kenya and Africa's top player at handicap 6.1. 

The players all participated in the six-goal Kenya International match in composite teams, which was won by Tusker Malt at the same venue last week.

The South Africans included handicaps 5 Watson brothers of Martin and Duncan and the handicap 4 David Evans.

On Sunday, the South Africans will be joined by Kenyan handicap 2 Mbu Ngugi in their team in the high goal match since a full team must have four players.

"This match will be tough but we are ready for it in one way or the other. We'll give our best," Ngugi told Standard Sports.

Despite playing for South Africa, Ngugi said such matches have exposed Kenyan players in their individual capacities for the international exposure needed to compete effectively with other nations.

"We have trained together and again we'll play together with them against the Kenyan team," Ngugi said.

The South Africans have been in the country since last week while testing the Kenyan horses in a 6-goal match.

Casimir is coming into the match from a short injury after he fell-off from one of the horses in a local league match at Manyatta Polo Club in Gilgil in June.

He has fully recovered and featured in matches in Gilgil last month that came up with different composite international teams that featured in last week's international assignments at the same venue.

"I'm now fit for more matches now since I'm fit as a fiddle," Casimir said in Gilgil last month. 

Last week, he was also in the composite teams in the six-goal matches.

All these players have featured for different sides in different divisions of matches since Friday ahead of the match on Sunday.

The match will be officiated by international umpire Raph Nzomo who played for M And Manus in the 12-goal match against BM Security, which they won 9-8 on Friday. Nzomo scored four goals.