It’s fun galore at ice hockey rink

The sound of the puck hitting the walls of the ice rink enclosure can be heard as you walk into the only ice rink in East Africa.

It is 9pm on a Wednesday and the evening chill is settling in as most people head home for the night.

At the Solar Ice rink in Panari, the crew are hard at work setting up for the weekly game of ice hockey. The Kenya ice hockey team is ending their day with an intense session.

Workout

As part of practice, the players are trying to get the small disc into the goal posts, which is the handiwork of Andrew ‘Andy’ Gremely, one of the players in the rink.

The group of eight gets dressed and ready to enjoy a thorough workout, and from the spectator stands, it all looks like a lot of fun.

The team is divided into two, with three players on each side while the other two sit on the sidelines. The makeshift goalkeepers are plastic penguins, which are usually used by learners on their first few skating sessions.

“Ice hockey is the greatest sport in the world. I am not biased, I am from Canada though,” says David Damberger, one of the players, who the rest of the team insists is one of their best.

In jest, David insists that his name is Mario Lemieux, considered one of the greatest hockey players of all time. It is no surprise why the Canadian would want to be associated with his countryman and retired hockey champion.

David enjoys finding a rink away from home, though it is different from what he is used to. “This may be the only rink in the world that has square boards like these. Most are usually curved so it is a unique rink. It helps make the game more fun because the puck will get stuck and we will shove each other trying to get it out,” he explains.

Upbeat

As the match kicks off to an upbeat tune blasting in the room, the players skilfully combine the art of balance, speed and concentration as they aim to get the puck past the inanimate penguins, who turn out to be quite formidable goal tenders.

When a player in the rinks tires out and needs to take a rise, he switches with one of his team mates sitting on the side of the rink.

As we huddle deeper into our jackets, the skaters are dripping with sweat barely 20 minutes into the hour-long session.

“If you are looking for an amped-up cardio workout, this is definitely an option that would be right at the top,” says David.

The players take turns on the rink, with each taking a few minutes to catch their breath. A typical ice hockey game has six players on either team including the goalie. For this group, however, they are two men short and therefore have to take turns on the rink to avoid exhaustion.

“We only play when we have eight people otherwise it would be too tiring,” says Andy.

Turnout

For Bruce Strachan – who is taking a breather on the makeshift seat – a bigger turnout would make for a great game.

“We would need sponsors to get more Kenyans on the team and improve the game,” he says.

Ice hockey has a different type of boot from ordinary skating.

“The blade is shorter and slightly heeled at the back. The ankle support is also lower for flexibility,” explains Bernard Azegere, a player and instructor at the rink.

He started ice skating in South Africa 14 years ago before picking it up again on his return to Kenya. He offers lessons at Sh12,000 for eight classes. To play, one must be a good skater and therefore ice skating classes and practice can be done regularly at the rink.

The pioneer members had to bring in their own equipment before the management of the rink invested in the gear needed for the sport. Now, the rink hires out equipment to those who want to take part.

Enjoyed

The sport is not just limited to the team that meets every Wednesday. Earlier in the year, they played against a group of young players from the inline skating team.

“We had a game with the inline guys when they had a sponsor and it was amazing. They played really well and we enjoyed it,” says Andy. The inline skating team also plays their version of the sport along Aga Khan Walk in the city centre.

“There is also a junior ice hockey team with approximately 12 children,” says Bernard. This team takes their turn on the ice on Sunday mornings. “I have two daughters and they also play here and will be on the Kenyan national team by 2022. I think Kenya should have an ice hockey team by then,” says David.

The team communicates through social media to ensure that there is quorum for a game.