Kenya retains boys’ title in athletics but going gets tough for girls

What you need to know:

  • Kenyan boys won nine gold medals, nine silver and three bronze as second-placed Uganda took four gold, four silver and 10 bronze. Burundi were third with two gold and two silver medals.

IN HUYE, RWANDA

Kenya on Friday retained boys’ title in athletics as track and field events ended on Friday at the 2015 East Africa secondary school games at the University of Rwanda’s Huye Campus. 

It was however tough luck for Kenyan girls as Uganda claimed the overall title to break Kenya’s dominance. Kenyan boys won nine gold medals, nine silver and three bronze as second-placed Uganda took four gold, four silver and 10 bronze. Burundi were third with two gold and two silver medals.

In the girls’ category, Uganda went home with nine gold medals, four silver and nine bronze, followed by Kenya with six gold, 10 silver and three bronze. Hosts Rwanda finished third with one silver and three bronze.

Ironically, Kenya dominated short races, Uganda and Burundi taking bragging rights in long distance races. Moffat Ngari bagged two gold medals in boys’ 100m and 200m in new course records.  He broke the 100m record in 10.1 seconds, shaving off four seconds from the previous record set by Uganda’s Elvis Ouma last year. Uganda’s Abubarak Okecho was second in 10.9 and Benson Okot (Uganda) third in 11.2.

In boys’ 200m, Ngari lowered the previous record set by Kenyan Marvin Simiyu (21.7) set in Uganda in 2013 for his second gold. Kenya’s Philemon Koinari took silver in 21.8 while Okot took bronze in 22.2.

Maximilla Imali retained girls’ 100m and 200m titles. Imali clocked 24.4 to win gold in 200m, with Uganda’s Maureen Banura (25.5) and Agnes Apio (25.7) second and third respectively.

In 100m, she timed 12.1 while Elizabeth Nekesa came in 0.3 seconds later for a one-two Kenyan finish as Banura took bronze.

World Youth 1500m champion Iveen Chepkemoi won gold in the girls’ 1500m in a time of 4min,24.4sec while Valentine Mateiko settled for silver in 4:26.5 as Rwanda’s Breatha Nishimwe took bronze in  4:28.2.