MPs shine as Kenya beat Uganda in games
Ugandan parliamentarians celebrate on December 5, 2016 after beating their Kenyan counterparts 1-0 in men’s football during East African Community Parliamentary Games at Mbaraki Sports grounds in Mombasa. PHOTO | LABAN WALLOGA |
What you need to know:
- Golfers tee off in East Africa Community Parliamentary Games
- The team, coached by Kenya’s national volleyball team tactician Gideon Chenje, overwhelmed their opponents at KPA Makande Gymnasium to collect crucial points.
Teso North Member of Parliament Arthur Odera on Tuesday inspired Kenya to a 2-0 sets victory over Uganda in men’s volleyball, keeping alive the home team’s hopes of retaining the title in East African Community Parliamentary Games in Mombasa.
The team, coached by Kenya’s national volleyball team tactician Gideon Chenje, overwhelmed their opponents at KPA Makande Gymnasium to collect crucial points. Playing as a right attacker, Odera was the undisputed star of the match in the absence of Webuye West MP Dan Wanyama who is also the team captain.
Wanyama, a former national team player and coach, had already produced impressive performances for Kenya in the track and field events on Sunday as well in football against Uganda on Monday. He opted to sit out the volleyball match pending tomorrow’s showdown with tough Burundi.
Stand-in captain Odera teamed up with Uasin Gishu MP Isaac Melly, Leonard Sang (Bureti), Kanini Kega (Kieni), John Waiganjo (Ol Joro Orok), Benson Mutura (Makadara) and Julius Melly (Tinderet) in a performance befitting reigning champions.
In the first 10 minutes of the first set, Kenya raced to a 14-7 lead and wrapped up the set 25-14 in the next 13 minutes. Uganda started strongly in the second set, levelling the scores 7-7 inside the first eight minutes. But Kenya bounced back to finish the set 25-17 after 21 minutes of play.
Odera attributed the good performance to proper training, saying the team has been training in Mombasa for the past eight days to acclimatise to the low altitude in the region.
“We knew we’ll face stiff opposition from our opponents and because we were aiming to retain the title we won last year in Rwanda, we came to Mombasa early enough to prepare well,” he said. Kenyan women had beaten Uganda 2-0 in their opening match on Monday.
Kenya expects another bounty harvest on Thursday as local amateur champion Kega leads the Kenyan team in the 18-hole golf contest at the Nyali golf course.
A second walk over against Burundi also looms for Kenya in netball as the Kenyan team already gave out one in the opening match against Uganda on Monday morning.
