Laiser Hill ready to rumble at National School Games

George Urua of Kapenguria High School (right) drives to the basket under pressure from Laiser Hill's Yussuf Omar in the basketball final of the Rift Valley Regional Term One Games at Nakuru Boys High School on March 24, 2017. PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH |

What you need to know:

  • The Kajiado-based school will have the opportunity to reclaim the title they last won in 2012 at Tuesday’s National Term One Games at State House Girls and Nairobi School.
  • With seven East African crowns and five national titles, Laiser are the most successful school in the sport.

After a four-year absence from the national scene, Laiser Hill boys’ basketball team is finally ready to reclaim its place at the helm of the secondary school games.

The Kajiado-based school will have the opportunity to reclaim the title they last won in 2012 at Tuesday’s National Term One Games at State House Girls and Nairobi School.

With seven East African crowns and five national titles, Laiser are the most successful school in the sport.

However, their fortunes took a nose dive following the promulgation of the current constitution in 2010 as counties replaced provinces as administrative units.

Laiser, who were in Rift Valley, moved to Metropolitan Region under the new arrangement.

Their woes started as they were placed with current national champions and arch-rivals Upper Hill in the same region, meaning only one of the two could go to the nationals. From 2013 to 2016, Upper Hill defeated Laiser Hill in the regional final denying them a spot at the nationals.

All that changed this year as the Ministry of Education reverted to the old boundaries and Laiser Hill went back to Rift Valley, where they reasserted their dominance once more.

They beat last year’s bronze medallists Kapenguria Boys from West Pokot County 58-32 in a tough final during the Rift Valley Region Secondary Schools Term One Games at Nakuru High last month.

Laiser Hill coach Anthony Kirimi acknowledged that the pain of missing out on the nationals for the last four years was their driving force in Nakuru.

“It has been so much heartbreak, coming so close but falling at the last hurdle. We are now back among the big boys and we want to try and win back the crown,” Kirimi told Nation Sport.

WILL FACE NYERI

Laiser Hill have been placed in Pool B at the nationals and will come up against returnees and two-time winners Nyeri Baptist from Central Region, Western Region’s Chavakali Boys and Wajir Boys from North Eastern.

Many have tipped a Laiser Hill and Upper Hill final clash but Kirimi admits the first target will be to get out of their pool.

“Of course meeting them (Upper Hill) in the final will be a classic encounter but we are in a tricky pool and have to negotiate safe passage first,” he added.

Nyeri Baptist, who are back at the nationals after years in the cold, will also be looking to go all the way.

Nyeri upset favourites Alliance Boys at the Central Region finals to claim the title. They will hope their triumphs in 1991 and 1993 will inspire them this year.

Champions Upper Hill headline Pool A that has Kangaru of Eastern, Aga Khan of Coast, and Nyanza Region champions Kisumu Boys.