Top guns plot conquest at national school games

With the regionals done and dusted, focus now shifts to the 2018 national secondary schools games which are expected to be a stiff affair as opponents plot the downfall of each other.

Defending 15s rugby champions, Kakamega High School, are expected to show their dominance after earning a ticket to the national competition by claiming the top honours at the Western region school games which ended at the weekend at the Friends School Kamusinga. The national competition will be held between April 6-14 in Embu.

At the weekend, Kakamega earned a hard-fought 6-3 win against arch-rivals St Peters Mumias to retain the rugby crown and the challenge is on retaining the national title that they won last year.

During last year’s competition, the champions recorded an 18-14 win over Laiser Hill Academy to reclaim the national title for the first time since 2013.And ahead of the tough challenge that beckons, Kakamega coach head coach Amos Wamanga is cognisant of what to expect.

“As the champions everyone will come with the intention of defeating us, but our plan will be to take one match at a time,” he said, adding that, “all the teams at the nationals are equally tough, so we have to minimize the mistakes that we make during breakdowns and the tackle areas .If we do that, we’ll be good to go,” said Wamanga.

However, as confident as Wamanga maybe, it will be no walk in the park for Kakamega High, popularly known as “The Barbarian” as tight competition is expected to emanate from Menangai High School from Rift Valley, St Mary’s School Yala from Nyanza and Upper Hill from Nairobi.

In boys’ basketball, new champions Sigalame High School from Busia County will be making their debut at the national level having been disqualified in last year’s final for fielding an ineligible player.

To earn a ticket to the nationals, Sigalame thumped Mukumu Boys 86 -61 in the regional final and will be facing stiff competition from giants like Laiser Hill from Rift Valley, Alliance from Central region, and Dagoreti High who qualified as champions of Nairobi region.

Speaking to Citizen Digital, Sigalame coach who is also the school Principal Peter Were said: “These team has played together for the last three years but the national competitions are very different to the regionals and counties; we will have to change a lot of things including our style of play.”

He added: “We also have to improve in our shooting which is a big problem.”

In girls basketball, Butere Girls who dethroned champions Tigoi in a tight encounter will battle with the likes of Buruburu Girls from Nairobi, Kayi Tiwi from Coast, Kirigira from Eastern, Barchando(Nyanza), Moi Girls Eldoret  (Rift Valley) and Loreto Limuru from Central .

Cheptil Boys players (in Blue) blocks against Tetu Boys player during their opening match of East African Secondary School games held at Eldoret Polytechnic in Eldoret on August 27, 2016. Photo/Sylvanus Kipkosgei/www.sportpicha.com

In hockey, Musingu Boys High School who successfully defended their regional title after seeing off Friends School Kamusinga 1-0 in 8 seconds rule after a 1-1 draw in normal time will battle for the national crown with the likes of St. Antony Kitale, Kisumu Day, and Upper Hill who qualified from their respective regions.

Tigoi girls who stopped Misikhu girls from defending their regional title with 1-0 win in the final will be wary of national champions Sinyolo from Nyanza who are still the favourites to retain the title.

In handball, former East Africa champions Kimilili Boys who reclaimed their regional title by defeating Mukumu 19-18 in the final will be hoping to mark their return to the nationals with a bang but face stiff competition from Mangu High School and Lenana.

Moi Girls Kamusinga who retained their regional title with a 14-11 win against Mukumu Girls will battle for the national glory alongside St. Anne Sega, St. Josephs Kirandich, Kwanzanthe and Voi White House.

With the event set to take place in a week’s time, only Northern Eastern region is yet to hold their regional finals, even as an explosive battle is expected when the giants come face-to-face in Embu

 

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embu Kakamega High School champions 2018 national school games Defending rugby 15s

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