Hidden inside Nairobi’s Panari Hotel is East Africa’s only ice rink, a small patch of ice measuring 32m by 12m, a third of the size of a standard rink. Opened in 2005, it quickly grew a following of recreational ice skaters. Then, in 2006, a group of Canadians discovered the rink and introduced the country to ice hockey. A small but committed group emerged and a decade later Kenya’s national team, The Ice Lions, was born.
In 2019, a federation was formed to grow the game, and the Madaraka Day Cup was launched. The Ice Lions, who recently triumphed at an exhibition match on a full-size rink in South Africa, play mainly in a friendly league against NGO and embassy workers from the United States, Canada and Europe. And this year, for the first time, they won the league.
Just chilling: Kenya’s national ice hockey team, known as The Ice Lions, won their first title in 2023 – the Madaraka Day Cup, named for the day marking self-rule in Kenya. This year they won the league. Photo: Luis Tato/AFP
Parallel pucking: Rink time is limited, and not inexpensive, so members of the Kenyan Ice Hockey National Team have taken to coaching junior players in roller hockey on inline skates.
Sticks on stone: Rollerblades or inline skates aren’t exactly the same as ice skates, but it’s a great way of giving kids a taste of the sport, and getting them some game time. Photos: Luis Tato/AFP
Slice of life: During May 2020’s lockdown Benjamin Mburu, an architect by day, practised stickhandling in his living room. Post-pandemic The Ice Lions mostly get just one hour of practice on the ice. Photo: Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP
Frost and furious: The Ice Lions face off against the Friendship League international team, made up of embassy and NGO workers from abroad, during their friendly league final at the Panari rink in Nairobi. Photo: Luis Tato/AFP
Cool heads prevail: The Ice Lions celebrate their league win. In October, Kenya joined Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and South Africa to become the fifth African member of the International Ice Hockey Federation.
Keeping the faith: Supporters and family cheer the Ice Lions on during the national side’s friendly league match at the Panari ice rink in Nairobi. Photos: Luis Tato/AFP
