Zachary Aura
Zachary “Zack” Aura is a Kenyan field-hockey tactician whose transition from star player to touch-line strategist is revitalising the sport locally. A commanding centre-half for 12 years, Aura captained Kenya’s men’s national team until his international retirement in 2015, amassing 108 caps and leading the side at two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. He soon shifted to coaching, taking the reins of Butali Sugar Warriors, Kenya’s most decorated club, where his data-driven match analysis and high-press systems have raised performance standards across the league.
Aura’s tenure has delivered four consecutive Kenya Hockey Premier League titles (2019–2022) and, most notably, a historic bronze medal at the 2023 Africa Cup for Club Champions on home turf in Nairobi, the club’s best continental finish in a decade. His technical acumen earned him the StarTimes / Sports Journalists Association of Kenya Coach of the Month award for February 2023 after an unbeaten run that season.
Beyond silverware, Aura mentors emerging talent through the Warriors’ academy, overseeing clinics that introduce over 300 primary-school pupils to the sport each year. He also serves on the Kenya Hockey Union’s coaching committee, championing modern fitness protocols and video-analysis literacy. With sights set on a continental title and more national-team call-ups from his academy, Aura continues to inspire a new generation to believe Kenyan hockey can compete with Africa’s best.