Rift Valley athletes shine in Embu championships

KPSSA

Some of the Rift Valley region athletes receive the title after emerging the overall winners at the 2022 Kenya Primary School Sports Association (KPSSA) athletics finals at St Mark’s Kigari Teachers Training College in Embu on July 4, 2022.

Photo credit: Charles Wanyoro | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • Central, who were declared the most improved team, tied in fourth place with Coast, both teams taking home 84 points.
  • Hosts Eastern were sixth with 69 points, followed by Nairobi (35) as North Eastern, who won accolades as the most disciplined team, wound up last.

Rift Valley region are the overall winners at the 2022 Kenya Primary School Sports Association (KPSSA) athletics finals that ended at St Mark’s Kigari Teachers Training College in Embu Monday.

The three-time champions collected 180 points to emerge winners in the Games, which have not been held for two years due to disruptions occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ministry of Education and KPSSA officials termed the championship a success, despite being held from the grassroots to the nationals inside two weeks.

Focus now turns to the secondary schools athletics competition, after 320 athletes from eight regions arrived at Kangaru School and Kangaru Girls High School in Embu County ready for the games which will be held at Kiragi Teachers Training College from Tuesday.

Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) Secretary General David Ngugi said they were excited to have the games after a two-year hiatus.

On Monday, officials were taken through a lengthy coordination clinic in readiness for the start of the championships.

The games will kick-off with the boys' 10,000 metres followed by the men’s high jump, the women’s discus throw, before competitors take to the track for the girls' 100m heats.

Boys' javelin team will then take the stage, as participants in the girls' 400m heats warm up.

The boys' 400m competitors will then square it out before the girls' 5,000m sign off in the morning session.

In the afternoon, boys' triple jump, girls' shot put and girls' 800m heats will take place simultaneously, followed by boys' 800m finals, girls' 200m heats and the boys' 200m heats.

Later on, the girls' 1,500m final will take centre stage, followed by the boys' 1,500m final. The 4x100m relays will be the last competition of the day.

In the primary schools competition, Rift Valley girls were in top form, garnering 89 points and took the first position in the category.

The team atoned for the poor performance by their male counterparts who emerged second in their category with 82 points.

Western region were second in the girls’ category with 162 points, while Nyanza were third with 131.

Central, who were declared the most improved team, tied in fourth place with Coast, both teams taking home 84 points.

Hosts Eastern were sixth with 69 points, followed by Nairobi (35) as North Eastern, who won accolades as the most disciplined team, wound up last.