All set for primary school finals in Embu

Some 320 pupils from eight regions countrywide will from Sunday compete in a hastily convened Kenya Primary School Sports Association (KPSSA) athletics competition at St Mark Kigari Teachers’ Training College in Embu.

Each region will present 20 boys and 20 girls, in a culmination of a Ministry of Education directive for schools to hold the event about 10 days ago.

This is the first time learners below 18 years are congregating for sports activities following a two-year hiatus occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The last event was held in Mumias in 2019 where Rift Valley won their third straight trophy.

Ministry and KPSSA officials said they received orders to assemble athletes last week, and some counties took competitors straight to the regional event without conducting preliminaries.

KPSSA national chairman Mbalo Mwinyaki and his Eastern counterpart Nelson Gatobu said they were now optimistic that holding the athletics event would rejuvenate the sporting spirit.

“We never thought of this after that long break due to Covid-19 pandemic. The teachers and pupils are very happy,” said Mbalo.

Eastern regional director of education William Sugut urged school heads to ensure that pupils actively participated in sports and undertook regular training in their preferred sport.

“Every time you are in school and you are out for PE, let your teachers help the children to guide them in the areas they want to practise in. If it is athletics, let them practise from Monday to Monday and nurture it as demanded in the CBC,” he said.

Sugut challenged teachers to think of ways of ensuring the pupils made a livelihood from the sports events they took part in.