Kenya 7s speedster Patrick Odongo has revealed that he sustained a rib injury during the match against France which was the primary reason for his absence in the last three matches at the Vancouver 7s held in Canada from 21-23 February.
However, SportPesa Blog understands that the injury is not severe and Odongo is expected to be fit for the upcoming Hong Kong 7s scheduled for 28-30 March.
Odongo started in two matches for Shujaa: the first against Argentina, where the national team suffered a 24-0 defeat, followed by the match against France where he also featured in the starting lineup.
The winger scored Shujaa’s only try in the match against France, and it was also his sole try in Vancouver that extended his tally to 12 tries. However, it was not enough to secure a victory as France triumphed 33-7.
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With Odongo sidelined, Shujaa coach Kevin Wambua faced a setback as his absence was deeply felt, especially in terms of attacking play and speed.
This contributed to the team’s defeats in their final three matches. In their last pool match against Great Britain, Shujaa lost 28-10.
Relegated to the ninth-place playoff, Shujaa met Uruguay.
Despite their best efforts, they were defeated 19-14 and dropped to the 11th-place playoff where they were again narrowly beaten 19-14, finishing 12th in the series and maintaining their overall position in ninth place with 15 points.
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Other tries for Kenya came from Jone Kubu, who scored two on his debut tournamen, as well as Wabwire Floyd with two tries. Vincent Onyala and Samuel Asati each contributed one try.
Odongo, 22, has now scored 12 tries across four outings, making him the top scorer for the national team in the HSBC 24/25 SVNS.
In Dubai, he started with four tries, followed by three in Cape Town and four in Perth.
Looking ahead, Odongo will aim to rebound in the next round of the HSBC Series in Hong Kong, where Shujaa will face in-form Spain, Great Britain, and reigning Olympic champions France in Pool C.
ALSO READ: Shujaa maintain ninth place despite Vancouver 7s setback
