School games: Focus shifts to E. Africa championships
Officials from Rift Valley Region and Western Region receive a trophy from Hassan Duale (right), Director, Field, Co-ordination and Co-Curricular Activities for tying as overall winners at the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association Term Two Ball Games at Bukhungu Stadium in Kakamega County on August 12, 2023. The teams garnered 143 points each.
What you need to know:
- In total, 975 students will represent Kenya in 20th edition of the annual competition that returns to northern Rwanda town of Huye this month.
- History was also made as North Eastern presented a rugby sevens team for the first time, while St Maurice Mwira Secondary School were crowned maiden winners of girls’ rugby sevens.
Following the conclusion of Secondary Schools Term Two National Games, attention now turns to Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (Feasssa) games in Huye, Rwanda from August 18- 27.
Kenya will be represented by 975 students in the 20th edition of the annual championship that return to the Northern Rwanda town after eight years.
Kenya will battle defending champions Uganda, Tanzania and the hosts in football, volleyball, rugby sevens and 15s, netball, basketball (3x3, 5×5), netball, racquet games, hockey, handball, swimming and athletics.
The country will also have two primary school teams and one for the Special Needs Education (SNE). Team Kenya will be out to reclaim the overall title after playing second fiddle to Uganda in the last two editions held in Arusha.
Kenya will be represented by three teams in all disciplines expect rugby sevens and volleyball where four sides will fly the country’s flag. Kenya won the volleyball titles last year and with Tanzania not fielding teams in rugby, the other nations have been given extra slots.
The teams that qualified from the Term Two Games will be joined by the ones from the Term One Games that were held in April in Eldoret. The Kenyan contingent will head to Busia Tuesday before crossing over to Uganda on Wednesday by road.
They are expected in Rwanda on Thursday night and will take a rest on Friday before action begins on Saturday. Expectations are high that the country will reclaim the title after the fierce competition witnessed in both the Term One and Two National Championships.
The football title has eluded Kenya for long with Ugandan dominating the sport. Kenya has only won the boys’ football title twice in the last 19 editions courtesy of St Anthony’s Boys High School, Kitale (2002) and Barding Boys High School (2016). Uganda’s St Mary’s Kitende School have won the title a record extending 13 times.
St Anthony’s lead the Kenyan hunt this year alongside Dagoretti High School and Shanderema Secondary School. Can the trio end Kitende’s domination?
“I think we have strong sides this year that have what it takes to win not only the football title but all other titles that we lost last year, said Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association Secretary General David Ngugi.
In Kakamega, the passion and love for the games was evident as crowds thronged Bukhungu Stadium, Kakamega High School and Mukumu Boys High School to watch their sides clash in various disciplines. Bull ring where rugby matches were being staged was also filled by fans.
“Kakamega has shown that they deserved to host these matches. This year’s games were very successful,” added Ngugi.
The games witnessed alot of upsets with only Koyonzo Boys High School retaining their title after edging out Vihiga Boys High School 22-12 in the rugby sevens final.
History was also made as North Eastern presented a rugby sevens team for the first time, while St Maurice Mwira Secondary School were crowned maiden winners of girls’ rugby sevens.
