With the national hockey league set to hit-off this weekend, Weatherhead Hockey Club have had new developments emerge from their camp as they seek to dominate the 2022 season.
On Friday, the club unveiled a UGX5M sponsorship package from Innovation Consortium Limited, revealed new signings for both the ladies and men’s teams as well as stating a road map for their Silver jubilee anniversary this year. The exercise took place at the Uganda Olympic Committee Secretariat in Lugogo, Kampala.
In the recent past, Innovation Consortium have been very close to the men’s main team in particular but now seek to fully associate with all the club’s outfits.
“We have been big time fans of hockey…and we are even bigger fans of Weatherhead Hockey Club in particular,” Innovation Consortium ‘s Programs Manager and Head of PR Brian Atuhire said on Friday adding that it was a great feeling to see the men’s side win the league last season with the company’s identity emblazoned on the team’s kit.
With the transfer window now closed, no player has left any of the Weatherhead teams save for Timothy Ntumba and Ashraf Tumwesigye who joined Italian side Galatea Hockey Club in the middle of last year.
The club have a new outfit dubbed Weatherhead Lady Historicals, a veteran side that was curved from the ladies main team, Gazelles. The former has been handed a major transfer boost with 10 players joining from the main team.
The Gazelles themselves have secured signatures of three players from young side Rhino. The trio are; goalie Miriam Kyabe, Brenda Namwase and Annet Awat.
With the exit of 10 players and signing of only three for the ladies main team, Club Chairperson Stephen Jjuuko Kwagala says that it’s a chance for the charges that have not been under utilized to step up for the challenge. He adds that they have full squads for all the sides.
For the men’s main team, the side raided perennial rivals Wananchi Sports Club to secure the signatures of national team duo of Colline Batusa and Thomas Opio. Dennis Wang’arira from Wazalendo Hockey Club, Kenya has also joined the team whilst free agent Sanduku Alvin Wesonga has joined the men’s veteran side, Weathered Historicals.
For the Silver jubilee, the team will hold celebrations for the same in April this year at the National Hockey Stadium, Lugogo.
“We wanted to take the event to Kings College Budo where the club was founded but Covid-19 restrictions from the school and the Ministry of Health can’t allow us,” Jjuko said adding that the 25 year celebrations will be a success regardless of the venue.
Other activities to mark the Silver jubilee include; Weatherhead Open slated for June, the Masters (35 and older persons tournaments) plus a dinner all scheduled for November and to cap the celebrations will be and end of year party scheduled for December. Weatherhead Series held earlier this year already paved way for proceedings.
For Jjuko, he prides in how far the team has come having attained lots of achievements on and off the turf, with both main teams having won almost all local accolades with men’s team winning three league titles and ladies winning six.
The club also has 400 members cutting across ages and various walks of life and professions.
Among others, the club is also working on getting its own home, a facility that will have different units, not just a turf and stands. Work is in progress to secure land for the facility and some time this year the project will start.
On the turf, all the Weatherhead sides will be in action this weekend when the league hits off. The ladies teams will be in action on Saturday with the main team (Gazelles) taking on Deliverance Church Uganda (DCU) Hockey Club whilst the Weatherhead Lady Historicals will mark their league debut against Rhino.
It will be a Super Sunday at Lugogo when Wananchi and Weatherhead main teams face off in the men’s division. This will be a repeat of last weekend’s inaugural Memorial Shield tournament where the former came from three goals down to even matters at the death to force a penalty shootout out that they won 3-2.
Still on Sunday, Weatherhead Historicals will come up against Rockets in the final matchday of the opening weekend.
