Kenya thumped the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) 9-0 in the opening match of the inaugural Junior Roll Ball  World Cup that kicked off at the Kasarani Indoor Arena in Nairobi on Monday.

Clinical Christian Nyongesa notched a hat-trick for Kenya in the 40th second and the fourth land ninth minutes to motivate the hosts.

David Oscar added a brace, scoring in the second and tenth minutes.

Other scorers for Kenya were Alexander Mutua, Hassan Abdul, Pierre Surur and Austin Muniu.

Kenya team captain Neto Ouma hailed their victory, saying it’s an indication that the country can retain the trophy.

“We were too smart for our opponents; we outpointed them with speed and precision. We also had very powerful shots on target,” Ouma told Standard Sports.

“We also had very extensive preparations ahead of this event. We trained for three months before we came here to play.

“Personally, my ultimate dream in this sport is to be a global hero and also to win multiple World Cups,” Ouma, a Grade Eight pupil at Jehova Rapha Academy in Nairobi, underlined.

DRC skipper Didier Kimbwaka stated they were happy to visit Kenya for the first time despite the loss.

“We are grateful to play this game at such a high level. We hope to bounce back in our second fixture,” Kimbwaka highlighted.

Sport Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya, whose statement was read by Sports Director Jaxon Indakwa at the championship’s opening ceremony, stated Kenya was grateful to be chosen by the International Roll Ball Federation as the host of the global premier showpiece.

“Sports not only act as a tool for unity, but a vehicle for peace and tourism. In Kenya, we not only support old sports disciplines like athletics, football and rugby but also new and emerging games like Roll Ball,” Mvurya stated.

In his remarks, the championship Local Organising Committee Chairman, Samuel Litaba, said the tournament is a history in the making for Kenya that is out to celebrate and promote talents among the youths.

“Hosting this event is a mark of honour. We urge all participants to play hard, play fair and stand out. May the spirit of fair play guide us all through this competition,” Litaba stated.

Kenya is the current defending champion of the men’s and women’s senior Roll Ball World Cups.

Kenyan women have won the senior World Cup twice.

Roll Ball is a fast-growing, popular sport that originated in the Asian region. It’s a combination of Basketball, Handball, Throwball and roller sports in which two teams compete with each other. Roll Ball can be played indoors as well as outdoors on hard surfaces such as wood or asphalt. The Roll Ball World Cup is the highest official competition for Roll Ball, held biennially. Today, the popularity of rollball has reached a greater extent as it is played in more than 40 countries worldwide.

The game needs speed, accuracy, balance, and teamwork for one to excel.