- Kenya 7s Gabriel Ayimba is determined to surpass the legacy of his father, Benjamin Ayimba, particularly in the HSBC SVNS Series.
- Ayimba has set his sights on winning more than one HSBC Series title, either as a player or a coach, in a bid to outdo his father’s achievements.
- Benjamin Ayimba famously guided Shujaa to a historic triumph at the 2016 Singapore Sevens, becoming the first coach to lead Kenya to an HSBC Series title.
National rugby 7s player Gabriel Ayimba has revealed his determination to surpass the legacy of his father, the late Benjamin Ayimba, particularly in the HSBC SVNS Series.
Gabriel, son of the former Shujaa head coach, previously featured for the Kenya Morans and Chipu, but it is with the senior national team where he hopes to truly make his mark under head coach Kevin Wambua as preparations intensify for the HSBC SVNS 2 Nairobi leg.
Speaking to NTV Sport On this past Monday, Ayimba, a forward for Strathmore Leos, explained that although he never initially dreamed of playing rugby professionally, he now aims to exceed his father’s achievements by winning more than one HSBC series title.
When I first got into rugby, I didn’t really have clear goals it was mostly about school fees,” Ayimba said.
But after finishing high school and pushing to break into the national team, I started seeing the bigger picture. My goal now is to win an HSBC circuit title. I want to win one or two, either as a player or a coach, and in doing so, beat my father’s legacy.”
ALSO READ: Kenya 7s name 18 players for high performance training in South Africa ahead of HSBC SVNS 2 campaign
Kenya 7s Gabriel Ayimba determined to surpass the legacy of his father, Benjamin Ayimba
His father passed away in May 2021 from cerebral malaria, after guiding the national 7s team, Shujaa, to a historic milestone -becoming the first coach to lead the team to victory at the Singapore 7s in 2016.
Now, his son, who made his debut in 2024 during the Safari 7s in Machakos aims to build on that as the team prepares for the upcoming HSBC SVNS 2.
ALSO READ: HSBC SVNS 2 Nairobi: Full fixtures, schedule & kick-off times
Kenya will host the first leg in a fortnight, from February 14–15 at Nyayo National Stadium.
Though the final squad is yet to be announced, Ayimba was among the 18 players selected for high-profile training in South Africa earlier in January.
If included, this will be his prime opportunity to begin forging his own path beyond his father’s accomplishments.
In February, Shujaa will face five teams in a round-robin format, hoping to start the three-legged series strongly as they push for promotion to HSBC SVNS 1 by 2027.
The hosts will open against Canada at 10:50 am, followed by matches against Belgium at 1:52 pm and Germany at 4:54 pm.
ALSO READ: SportPesa injects KSh 40M into KRU ahead of HSBC SVNS 2 Nairobi leg
They will then take on Uruguay at 12:50 pm on Sunday before finishing the Nairobi leg with a much-anticipated clash against the USA at 5:02 pm.
After Nairobi, the competition moves to Montevideo, Uruguay, before concluding in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Following the three legs, the top four teams in each category will earn promotion to the elite Division 1 and secure a place in the winner-takes-all World Championships Series.