New entrants for annual games
What you need to know:
- The game’s organising Committee chairman Ezekiel Tanui disclosed that the two banks’ entry brings to 29 the number of banking institution that will battle it out in 20 disciplines in the week-long games.
- The other new feature this year is the CEO’s 3km run.
Diamond Trust Bank and Gulf African Bank will be making their debut at the 32nd edition of Inter-Bank Games that officially start on Saturday at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies, Nairobi.
The game’s organising Committee chairman Ezekiel Tanui disclosed that the two banks’ entry brings to 29 the number of banking institution that will battle it out in 20 disciplines in the week-long games.
The other new feature this year is the CEO’s 3km run that will be held immediately after the official opening ceremony tomorrow at 9.30am. The Central Bank of Kenya governor Patrick Njoroge will compete in the race alongside CEOs from the rest of the financial institutions and senior managers.
Football started on Monday with Consolidated Bank keen on retaining the title they won last year after edging out Equity Bank 4-1 on post-match penalties in the final. The two sides had battled to a 1-1 draw in normal time.
“Besides at the School of Monetary Studies, we shall have competitions spread at KCB Sports Club, Barclays Sports Club and Stima Club,” said Tanui adding that all competitions will strictly be held under their respective international rules.
“These banking institutions have produced internationals in various disciplines hence we must manage the games professionally so that objectives of the games are achieved,” said Tanui.
Equity Bank that won the overall title last year with 560 points, will be defending nine titles in both men and women’s basketball, volleyball and badminton besides tug-of-war, lawn tennis (women) and darts.
Central Bank of Kenya that finished second overall, losing to Equity by 30 points, will also put on line six titles; squash (men), lawn tennis (men), table tennis, snooker, draughts and swimming (women).
Postbank will put at stake their men and women’s athletics titles while Barclays Bank will be defending their swimming (men), scrabble and squash (women).
It’s left to be known whether Consolidated Bank will retain their soccer title what with Agricultural Finance Company and Standard Chartered Bank putting on line their Netball and chess crowns respectively.
Events on card are football, basketball (men and women), squash (men and women), badminton, volleyball, netball, tug-of-war, lawn tennis (men and women), table tennis, darts, snooker, draughts, scrabble, athletics, swimming, golf, chess and CEOs race.
