Top guns collide in Eldoret as national school games begin

It is here with us again!This time in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County .The Kenya Secondary School Sports Association (KSSA) Term 2B National School Games kick off onTuesday at The Hills School with stiff competition expected in various disciplines.

In football boys, 2017 runners up St. Antony, last year’s East Africa semi-finalists and 13-time champions, Kakamega High School, popularly known as Green Commandos, and this year’s Eastern region champions, Kathungi of Kitui, are the favourites for the under-19 football boys title, with the trio paired in the ‘pool of death’ alongside Ringa of Nyanza.

Kakamega head coach Bredan Mwinamo who steered his side in the National Super League last year is banking on the second- tier experience to help his charges sail past their Pool A opponents en-route “to winning the title”.

“I think this year is very tough.  Our tough task begins against Rift Valley champions St .Antony in our opening match but I think NSL exposure will help us.

“We are raring to go and our main aim is to win this year’s title because last year we crashed out at semi finals,” an upbeat Mwinamo told Citizen Digital.

Kathungi who play in Kitui’s Division Two League will lock horns with Nyanza champions Ringa in the second Pool A match.

In Pool B, Nairobi region’s new champions Dagoretti, who downed last year’s national champions Upper Hill at the county level, will make their nationals debut against Shimba Hills of Coast region with Olbolsat of Central battling North Eastern champions Tarbaj.

In rugby sevens, with the absence of 2017 champions Menengai High School, the title is up for grabs with four past champions; St Mary’s Yala and Maseno School, both from Nyanza, Laiser Hill Academy from Rift Valley and Western’s St. Peters’s Mumias , who share eight titles among themselves , will all be eyeing the title in the Uasin Gishu county capital,  Eldoret.

Five-time champions Maseno School (2003,2006,2007,2011 and 2014) return to the centre of the matrix aiming to have a bite at the cherry after seeing off one-time national winner (2002),St Mary’s Yala 19-5 in Nyanza regional finals in June.

Reigning East Africa sevens champions Muhuri Muchiri from Central as well as last year’s beaten finalists Chavakali spruce up the mix for the crown with the latter’s head coach Peter Simwa aiming at bagging the gong.

“It will not be business as usual and with Menengai who edged us in last year’s edition absent, it gives us an upper hand,” an upbeat Simwa said, adding: “I am confident we will triumph.”

Simwa spoke to Citizen Digital after overseeing his team’s final warm-up at Hills School grounds.

According to the draws released by the organizers, Laiser Hill have been paired in Pool A alongside Muhuri Muchiri,St Mary’s Yala and Kipsombe Secondary of Rift Valley.

Chavakali headline Pool B alongside Muvuti of Eastern Region, Karima and Friend School Bwake, while Pool C brings together Dagoretti High, Maseno School, Igembe of Eastern and Kwale High of Coast Region.

In Pool D, St.Peter’s Mumias will take on Kaya Tiwi of Coast, Nakuru Day of Rift Valley and Githiga High of Central region.

The seven-day event which also have other eight disciplines – volleyball, table tennis, soccer under 16, badminton, lawn tennis, hepta, deca, cross-country and netball –  will end on Saturday with winners and runners up in every beat set to represent Kenya in the East Africa Regional games slated for August 14-26 in Kigali ,Rwanda.

Group A

-Laiser Hill

-Muhuri Muchiri

-St Mary’s Yala

-Kipsombe Secondary

Group B

-Muvuti

-Karima

-Friend School Bwake

Chavakali

Group C

-Dagoretti High

-Maseno School

-Igembe

-Kwale High

Group D

-Peter’s Mumias

-Kaya Tiwi

Nakuru Day

-Githiga High