Brief history of roll ball in Kenya and worldwide 16-04-2024 World

Roll Ball, a sport invented in 2003 by Mr. Raju Dabhade from Pune, India, has rapidly grown into an international competition. The inaugural World Cup in 2011 saw 16 countries compete in Pune, with Denmark emerging victorious, India as the runner-up, and Belarus in third place. The second World Cup in 2013 was hosted by Kenya and included both men's and women's teams. India won the men's title while the Kenyan women finished second. Subsequent World Cups in 2016 (Pune), 2017 (Dhaka), and 2019 (Chennai) showcased India's dominance, with the country often winning both the men's and women's categories. Notably, the 4th World Cup in Dhaka saw participation from 39 countries, reflecting the sport's growing global appeal. The 6th World Cup in Pune marked a historic moment for Kenya, as both their men's and women's teams won gold, defeating India and Egypt, respectively. This victory underscored the fierce competition and high skill levels that have come to define the sport. The International Roll Ball Federation, along with various national federations and enthusiasts, has played a crucial role in promoting the game, which is now played in over 50 countries worldwide. This expansion highlights the sport's increasing popularity and the successful efforts to establish Roll Ball as a recognized international sport.

Roll Ball in Kenya : A Decade of Growth and Community Engagement

The game of Roll Ball was introduced in Kenya in December, 2010 by Mr. Samuel Litaba (President) & Mr. Edward Muema (Secretary General at that time). The Kenya Roll Ball Federation has 11 members in the committee running Roll Ball in Kenya. We have held 13 national and 2 international courses to train referees and coaches in Kenya. The first National Roll Ball League ran from November, 2013 to March 2014 where 10 teams took part. The second National Roll Ball league began in September, 2014 and ended in March, 2015. All the subsequent editions were also run in the same format and the 9th National Roll Ball League season 2023/2024 season came to end on 7th April, 2024 at Ulinzi Sports Complex, Langata during the league playoffs. We have a total of 13 men’s teams and 9 ladies teams actively participating in the National League. We held our first youth championship for both boys and girls on 23rd March, 2014 at Mama Ngina Drive in Mombasa and since then several championships have been held for the under 17, under 14 and under 11 boys and girls. The first edition of the Kenya National Junior Roll Ball League will be held from May 11 to July 20th, 2024. Decathlon Nairobi is the proud partner of KRBF hosting the league matches. More counties such as Nairobi, Mombasa, Eldoret, Iten, Kakamega, Kericho, Kilifi, Kisumu, Kirinyaga, Machakos and Bomet have embraced the sport and are organizing competitions for all categories different times annually

In the Junior Roll Ball category, we have teams that participate in annual tournaments hosted by different counties including Embu Skaters, Fire Skating Club, Hodari Boys Club, Hope Raisers Skating Club, JKUAT Juniors, KU Juniors Roll Ball team, Funpot Skaters Malindi, Kisumu Skaters Club, Mwea Club, Osiepa Sports, Rapha, Roller Kings, Siaya Skaters, Sky Skaters Kenya, and other institutions that have embraced Roll Ball such as Benedicta School, Chantilly School, Depaul Austin Academy, Juja Preparatory, Mountain View Academy, Roots Academy, Nakuru, Ruaraka Academy, Strathmore School, and Zawadi School Nairobi. We are working on spreading the game to be included officially in the Primary and Secondary School games. Our federation in conjunction with the International Roll Ball Federation bidded to host the first ever Youth World Roll Ball Championship later this year in December at MISC, Kasarani. We invite all stakeholders and lovers of Roll Ball to partner with us to ensure the success of this championship. We endeavor to spread the game to estates, schools, tertiary colleges, universities, malls and clubs all over the country. In order to achieve this dream, we require partners who love youth and sports. Roll Ball is a free flowing, fast, exciting game and arguably the fastest growing game on earth.