Laiser Hill, Passenga to renew rivalry in EA School Games
What you need to know:
- Regional hockey champs St. Anthony’s, Sinyolo put titles on the line in Eldoret next week
- Newly crowned national boys’ football champions Laiser Hill School are in Pool B alongside East African title holders Masaka Secondary from Uganda, 2014 national kings Passenga High, last year’s finalists Alliance High from Tanzania.
Kenyan teams have been handed tricky draws at the Brookside Federation of East Africa Secondary School Sports Association Games scheduled for next week in Eldoret.
According to the draws released in Kampala Tuesday, newly crowned national boys’ football champions Laiser Hill School are in Pool B alongside East African title holders Masaka Secondary from Uganda, 2014 national kings Passenga High, last year’s finalists Alliance High from Tanzania.
A school from South Sudan will also be included in Pool B. Last year in Rwanda, Laiser Hill were in the same pool with Alliance and Masaka. The Kenyans fell 2-0 to Masaka and drew 1-1 draw with Alliance in the group stages.
“This time round we want to go all the way and win the title. We have a better squad this year,” Laiser Hill coach Anthony Kirimi said.
Bukembe, who finished fourth in their maiden appearance at the national games, are in Pool C against 12-time winners St Mary’s from Uganda.
The latter appealed against the one-year ban handed to them last year and were allowed to take part in this year’s games after paying a fine. Other teams in the pool are College Gisenyi (Rwanda) and L’ Ecole Technique (Burundi).
Barding, who lost to Laiser in this year’s national final headline Pool A alongside Ugandan boys’ champions St. Joseph Kibuli, Makongo (Tanzania), Hanika (Rwanda) and Charawe (Zanzibar).
In the girls’ category, Kenyan champions St. Johns’ Kaloleni are in Pool B with Remera (Rwanda), Kawempe Muslim (Uganda), Alliance (Tanzania), Nyakach Girls from Kenya and Masaka of Uganda.
Pool B has losing finalists Wiyeta, Nyakabinga (Burundi), Nginda (Kenya), Mutunda (Rwanda), Mukono (Uganda) and Kabasila (Tanzania).
Reacting to the draw, Wiyeta coach Edgar Manyara said: “We have a chance to seek redemption after the painful lose in last year’s final.
In hockey, Kenya’s St Anthony’s Kitale and Sinyolo Girls will be looking to defend their titles.
St Anthony will battle it out with local rivals Friends Kamusinga and Upper Hill, St Charles Kasasa from Uganda, Juhudi from Tanzania, Kakungulu and Ntare from Uganda.
In hockey girls, Sinyolo will battle it out with Kenyan rivals Tigoi and Kerugoya Girls, Kakungulu, Namagunga, and Old Kampala from Uganda.
Schools from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and Zanzibar will battle out for medals in basketball, athletics, netball, rugby, handball, badminton, table tennis, volleyball, soccer, lawn tennis and hockey. Hosts Kenya are the defending champions.
