Kenya: Team Shine in EA Darts Championship

Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam)

Japheth Kazenga

24 April 2011

KENYA’s dominance in this year’s East Africa Darts Championship was extended on Saturday as the country’s representatives excelled in the singles event of the tournament played at the Moshi Hotel venue in Dar es Salaam.

Tanzania Amateur Darts Association (TADA) has organized the two-day event, which has attracted over 100 players from Kenya, Uganda and hosts with competitors battling in singles, doubles and team events.

Kenyan Judy Kagendo emerged champion of the women singles’ event after recording a convincing 4-2 victory over compatriot Rosemary Wangui in the final.

The winner was almost in control of the best of seven games’ duel and despite her opponent’s attempt to stage a fight back, she went on to wrap up victory with one game to go.

Another Kenyan darts ace, Nelson Nyakundi, ensured his country’s quest for honours gather momentum by qualifying for the final of the men’s singles and was expected to face Ugandan Patrick Ochieng in what promised to be an exciting duel later yesterday.

The hosts’ efforts to flex their muscles in the women singles were thwarted by determined opponents from both Kenya and Uganda and it was eventually only two Tanzanians, Hilda Mahiti of Magereza, Kilimanjaro and Fabiola Namajojo of Mzinga, Morogoro, who managed a quarter-final berth.

Prominent Dar es Salaam female darts players in the likes of Subira Waziri and one Irene surprisingly faltered in the first round to prove there was still a long way to go should Tanzanian players wish to achieve success in the regional tournament.

TADA vice-chairman, David Msabi, said the men’s doubles event had, until Saturday evening, reached the second round while the women doubles event had yet to start.

With the hosts failing to make any meaningful attempt at winning honours in the singles event at their own backyard, the attention was therefore focused on the remaining events, whose chances to emerge victor were equally slim, thanks to stiff competition from Kenyan and Ugandan players.

Msabi had earlier admitted that the hosts’ preparations for the tournament were not quite satisfactory as the national team, for one, failed to train intensively in the camp because of financial constraints.

That, certainly, turns out to be one of shortcomings that could possibly derail Tanzania’s chance to at least win one trophy in the event.

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