Kaya Tiwi, Sinyolo up for battle as SOYA down to five

Giant slayers Kaya Tiwi Secondary School are among those vying for the 2016 Safaricom Sports Personality of the Year (SOYA) Schools categories as they bid to cap a remarkable season that saw them make history when they became the only school to win two national titles in a season earlier this year.

The chase in the category has narrowed down to the last five as the awards ceremony set for January 20 next year draws nearer.

Also firmly in contention are the Girls’ School of the Year 2015 winners Sinyolo Girls at the event that will see schools, coaches and players alike battle for top honors.

Minnows Tiwi burst onto the limelight following their April and June triumphs at the national basketball and netball championships, beating former champions Lycee de Tanganyika of Burundi 54-51 in the final of East Africa secondary school games to cap a remarkable schools’ season.

Alongside Sinyolo, they have been pitted against last year’s runners up and 2016 volleyball national and East Africa champs AIC Kosirai, national football winners St. John’s Kaloleni and KSSSA and FEASSSA handball holders Moi Girls’ Kamusinga.

Debutants Soweto Academy completes the list after eliminating former champions Kwanthanze as Metropolitan volleyball winners and finished second both at the national and FEASSSA games.

Up in the boys’ school contest are Friends School Kamusinga, St. Luke’s Kimilili, Upper Hill, Kakamega High School and Malava Boys. FS Kamusinga maintained an unbeaten run to winning both the nationals and East Africa hockey titles, and also had basketball, handball, football, rugby and swimming teams competing up to county and Nzoia region levels.

St. Luke’s Kimilili handball side won gold both at the nationals and regional stages, producing the most valuable player in the two competitions. Upper Hill is the tops in diversity, having fielded the most number of schools in the KSSSA and FEASSSA Games.

They won the national basketball trophy and bronze in the regional games, finished fourth in East Africa hockey and entered their rugby 15s and sevens outfits at the regional games.

Kakamega High and Barding are East Africa champions in rugby 15s and football respectively, and the former had their teams in football, handball and hockey competing to the county and regional levels.

Tiwi’s coach Phillip Onyango who tutored basketball and netball to winning two gold medals at the national and one at the East Africa show will face off against hockey tacticians Alloise Owino (Sinyolo) and Kamusinga’s Emmanuel Sanya.

AIC Kosirai volleyball coach Richard Soi and Kakamega’s Eric Butala (rugby 15s) close the list in hunting for coaches’ gong.

Record breaker Hadassah Gichovi, and, most valuable players Lilian Odera (basketball), Judy Nkatha (lawn tennis), Mwanahalima Adams (football) and Jacinta Leli (handball) are lace the girls school player of the year award list.

Table tennis’ FEASSSA champion and MVP Allan Sing’ar, Elphas Makuto (volleyball), Isaac Kololi (handball), John Odinga (football) and Justine Ng’etich (hockey) contest for the boys’ category.