Swimming: Mombasa defend Coast schools championship title
Girls jump to the pool during the Coast Region Secondary Schools swimming championship at Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa on March 16, 2024.
What you need to know:
- Mombasa edged Kwale County who finished a distant second position with 585 points while Lamu County took third place with 462 points
- The girls' crown was also taken by Mombasa who collected 553 points, Kwale was second with 257 points while Lamu finished third with 120 points
- Kenya Secondary School Sports Association (KSSSA) Coast Region chairperson Zuhura Hussein Omar said top two swimmers from each event will represent the region during the National Games
Mombasa County team Sunday garnered a total of 1,610 points to retain their Coast Region Secondary Schools Swimming Championships title at Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa.
Mombasa edged Kwale County who finished a distant second position with 585 points while Lamu County took third place with 462 points. Fourth and fifth places were taken by Kilifi and Taita Taveta counties having amassed 92 and 15 points respectively.
The girls' crown was also taken by Mombasa who collected 553 points, Kwale was second with 257 points while Lamu finished third with 120 points. Kilifi and Taita Taveta did not get any point in the girls’ events.
In boys’ category, Mombasa walked away with the crown after getting 977 points followed by Kwale with 296 points. Lamu claimed third place with 274 points, Kilifi were fourth with 92 points while Taita Taveta finished fifth with only 15 points.
Seventeen-year-old Hakim Salim of Mombasa stole the show when he won the boys' 100m and 16-20 years 50m breaststroke events clocking 1:15.00 and 32.60 respectively.
The Coast swimming ‘queen’, Maria Bianchi of Mombasa, who on the first day set two national schools records for 200 metres individual medley and 50m butterfly, continued to shine when she won the girls 100m freestyle event, timing 1:05.53 seconds.
Aker Mutinda, also of Mombasa, who set a new national record for boys aged 16-20 in the 50m butterfly category, won the 100m freestyle in 56.50 seconds.
Mombasa swept the podium in the girls 12-15 years 50m breaststroke event where 12-year-old Nalwoga Mutinda finished first in 39.38 seconds, Lisa Ogwapit was second in 43.65 while Hajrah Mote settled third in 56.82.
Kenya Secondary School Sports Association (KSSSA) Coast Region chairperson Zuhura Hussein Omar said top two swimmers from each event will represent the region during the National Games to be held in Machakos from April 6.
"We’ve a lot of confidence in our Coast team swimmers to do well during the national games in Machakos next month and I hope they’ll emerge victors,” said Omar who explained that their team will have 15 girls and 15 boys.
