Western Jaguars player, Emmanuel Wiswa, reacts in their Kenya Hockey Union men’s National League match against Sikh Union played on June 3 2023 at Dashmesh Stadium at Sikh Sports Club.
In 2022, the Kenya men’s hockey team was preparing for the Africa Cup of Nations that was due to be staged in Accra.
But the team’s technical bench, led by Fidelis Kimanzi, wanted a player who could work alongside the team’s captain Constant Wakhura, himself penalty corner drag specialist.
Emmanuel Wiswa, who plays for Western Jaguars Hockey Club who are fresh from winning a maiden Kenya Hockey Union men’s Premier League title, took the chance and ran away with it.
“I had been called up to the provisional squad for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations. After a training session, coach Kimanzi said the team needed another penalty corner drag specialist other than Wakhura. I saw a golden opportunity and jumped on it.
"On weekends, the team would train from 8am. Every weekend, I would train with Wakhura in the morning for an hour or so, to learn how to drag a penalty corner. That way, we shall have covered a lot of ground and learnt a thing or two from Wakhura on dragging the ball by the time other players joined the sessions.
"He was patient with me and showed me the ropes. I was privileged to be drafted in the team that competed in Ghana,” Wiswa told the Nation Sport at Sikh Union Club in Nairobi.
It was therefore not a surprise that the defensive midfielder emerged top scorer in the 2024 Kenya Hockey Union men’s premier league with nine goals, eight of them from penalty corners.
“It has taken me three years for my hard work, commitment and discipline to bear fruit. It has not been easy, but looking back now, I’m glad I took the chance and challenged myself to try something new.
"I remember how I could drag between 30 and 40 balls in a day at the City Park Hockey Stadium, just to get it right, under the guidance of Wakhura. I’m extremely happy that the effort has finally paid off,” the player, who holds a degree in psychology from the University of Nairobi, said.
Festus Onyango (seven goals) of Butali Sugar Warriors and Harvir Singh (six goals) of Sikh Union finished second and third respectively in the top scorers’ charts.
Wiswa, 24, who played hockey for Friends School Kamusinga in Bungoma County, says he was introduced to hockey by coincidence.
“When I joined Kamusinga in Form One from Webuye ACK Primary School in 2015, I slept on a double decker bed. The school’s hockey captain slept on the bed below mine, and he would ask me to carry his hockey stick, balls, kits, among other things, to the playing ground at games time.
"They were coached by Emmanuel Sanya, and would go round the fields for around 20 minutes while Form One students like us would dribble the ball for fun,” the player, who was born to Charles Wiswa and Judith in a family of six children, says.
Western Jaguars player Emmanuel Wiswa.
“Little did I know that coach Sanya had noticed my dribbling skills. At Form Two, I was drafted into the team, but as a water boy. I would distribute water to our players during school tournaments but deep down, I wanted to be on the pitch. Coach Sanya spared time to teach me some skills, which I grasped quickly,” he added.
In Form Three, Wiswa was used sparingly in the team as Kamusinga won the regional, national and East and Africa schools hockey titles.
“In 2017, we lost to Musingu Boys High School in the regional games. I was in the team and although we didn’t qualify for the national championships, Musingu High School’s coach, Michael Malungu, had taken note of my ability. After finishing my Form Four studies in 2018, he asked me to join Western Jaguars. I heeded the call,” Wiswa, who doubled up as assistant coach of Twinkle Hockey Club, said.
Twinkle Hockey Club was promoted to the top-tier league from KHU Women’s Super League after finishing second behind winners Kisumu Queens.
Wiswa is an assistant to experienced coach Fredrick Masibo.
Wiswa, who holds Level Two coaching certificate, says he was not lucky to play in age-group competitions, but did not give up even when things didn’t look up.
“I missed out on five-a-side hockey held in Algeria in 2018, since as I didn’t have the necessary travel documents despite having impressed in training. In 2020, I failed to make the final Kenyan team for Africa Under-21 Junior Cup that was held in Egypt. In all these,I didn’t give up. I continued working hard, and showing up in the training for the club ,” Wiswa, who finished second in the top scorers’ charts in 2023 Africa Cup for Club Championship held in Blantyre, Malawi, says.
Wiswa scored 13 goals in the tournament to finish behind winner Mohamed Essam of Egyptian club Sharkia, who bagged 15 goals.
The stars later aligned themselves in his favour in 2022 and Wiswa earned his first senior national team call up. He made the final cut for the Kenyan team that competed in 2023 Africa Cup of Nations cum World Cup qualifiers in Accra, Ghana.
Kenya finished fourth in the tournament as winners South Africa qualified for the World Cup.
“The experience in the national team was worthwhile, and the exposure in Ghana did me good. I shared the lessons I learnt in Ghana with my club mates. Later that year, we finished second in the League behind champions Butali Sugar Warriors. I have matured and I hope to be a mainstay in the national team going forward,” said Wiswa.
Wiswa, who was born in Kano Plains, Ahero Sub-county in Kisumu acknowledges that Western Jaguars is still work in progress.
“We have worked to be at the top since we joined the premier league in 2007. Locally we have achieved what we were working for by winning the title but now we are looking at the bigger picture, the Africa Club Championships. Last year, we finished second behind El Sharkia of Egypt in Malawi. We are motivated by the fact that we are the national champions. Should we go to next year’s Clubs championship in Egypt, we definitely want to win the title. I believe the time is ripe,” said Wiswa.
Wiswa, who weighs 77kg and stands at 5’9, attributes his success to coach Malungu and Western Jaguars president Wilfred Mutubwa, who passed on in 2024.
Big contribution
“Malungu made me the player I’m today. I owe him my success. He instilled in me virtues that I still hold to date. Mutubwa was like my second father. He would finance my travels and when I could not raise money to attend training sessions, he would gladly send me money. We will miss him and the sacrifices he made to make sure Western Jaguars was an established club. It’s unfortunate he will not live to see the achievement but we are determined to make him proud,” said Wiswa.
Future
Wiswa is keen on pursuing coaching in the future.
“I remember in 2021, Kenya Hockey Union held an open tournament, I had gone to watch the matches at the City Park Hockey Stadium. Then Black Tigeress women’s team did not have a coach, and they asked me to be on the touchline. Although we were eliminated at the quarterfinals, the players said I had done well. I enrolled for coaching courses. In 2022, Twinkle Hockey Club that competed in the Super League sought my services as the assistant coach, and I took up the challenge. We didn’t perform well in 2023 as we failed to get promoted to the top tier but this year I’m happy that we got it right and earned promotion to the top tier,” he observes.
“I will venture fully into coaching once I retire from the game. I believe I have a lot to offer in that section,” he concluded.
