Kada Stars Are 2021 Hockey National League Champions

Kada Stars Are 2021 Hockey National League Champions By Our Reporter Kada Stars hockey team of Kaduna on Saturday in Abuja defeated Police Machine 3-0 to amass 12 points and win the male title at the 2021 National Super League. Both teams (Kada Stars and Police Machine) will however represent Nigeria at the Africa Cup for Club Champions (ACCC) in September in Malawi. In the female category of the Super League, Delta Queens and Plateau Queens will also represent Nigeria at the ACCC. In the final match of the competition on Saturday at the Hockey pitch Package B, Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Kada Stars’ victory ensured they finished with 12 points after four wins and a loss. They scored 17 goals and conceded four en route playing five matches, for a goals difference of +13. Police Machine were second with 11 points from five matches, after scoring eight goals and conceding four for a goals difference of +4 from three wins and two draws. Niger Flickers of Minna finished third with 10 points from five matches, after three wins, one draw and a loss, with nine goals scored and three conceded. Yobe Desert Rollers of Damaturu ended in fourth place after gathering seven points only, from two wins, one draw and two losses, after scoring six goals and conceding eight. Delta Force of Asaba were fifth with three points only from one win and four losses, after scoring five goals and conceding 16. Stallions of Lagos brought up the rear in the six-team league, after securing no point in five losses from five games, and after scoring two goals and conceding 12. Speaking on his team’s performance, the coach of Kada Stars, Ndana Baba, said he was happy his team won the 2021 championship. “The Police Machine players were stronger than my players and were more experienced in the sport because my players are young and new in the game. “But we came here to win the league, and I thank God that he gave us victory. We are grateful for this success. “My players were slow due to the fact they are younger and the Police Machine are more advanced, but we won. “But we will try our best to get the necessary things done and by God’s grace we hope to be better in Malawi in September,” he said. Speaking also, the captain of Kada Stars, Kish Victor, urged the Nigeria Hockey Federation (NHF) and their owners to do the necessary things to ensure success in Malawi. “We are going to Malawi this year, and we pray that the Kaduna State Government should do something earlier so that we can be well prepared and have a good result at the championship,” he said. A total of 12 teams participated in the Super league, with six male teams and six female teams. The NHF organised The annual tournament which started on July 3 and ended on Saturday. The tournament is aimed at enhancing the sport’s development in the country and serves as an avenue to select the country’s representatives to the Africa Cup for Club Champions (ACCC) in Malawi in September.(NAN)