City schools begin rush for games titles

The die is cast as the Nairobi County secondary schools converge on different venues for their regional Term One Games starting Friday morning.

At stake during the two-day event will be various titles as well as tickets to next month’s National Term One Games to be held at the Kapsabet Boys and Girls Schools in Nandi County.

Schools will battle for honours in hockey, basketball, rugby sevens and 15s and handball, while swimming, athletics and cross-country events are scheduled for next week.

Basketball and handball will be staged at Upper Hill School, Sunshine Secondary School, Lang’ata High School and PUEFA, while Nairobi School will play host to rugby and hockey.

The various defending disciplines’ champions all successfully came through the sub-county games unscathed and will be confident of retaining their titles.

In boys’ basketball, champions Dagoretti, under the guidance of former Upper Hill principal Peter Orero, headline Pool A and come up against Muhuri Muchiri, Highway School, Strathmore and Eastleigh High School.

Pool B features Upper Hill, Starehe Boys, Mwiki Secondary School, Aquinas Secondary School and Peter Kibukosya while hosts Lang’ata, Kenya Muslim, Waylight, Lenana High School and Dandora Secondary School are in Pool C and Nairobi School, Uhuru High School, Garden Estate, Jamhuri High and Lang’ata 2 are drawn in Pool D.

In the girls’ category, champions Buruburu Girls - who are drawn in Pool A alongside Starehe, Dandora Secondary School, Maina Wanjigi, Tumaini and State House - will be keen to defend the title but team’s coach Julius Otieno said it will not be a walk in the park.

Otieno said their opponents are not push overs.

“It will be a tough call but we hope to reign supreme against them and go all the way and defend the national title,” said Otieno.

Otieno said they have enough cover after influential duo Shantel Kiobe and Maureen Opita cleared School last year and have since joined Zetech and Riara Universities respectively that feature in the Kenya Basketball Federation Premier League sides.

Buruburu will be relying on the services of team’s captain Claris Osula, Brunna Sakala, Mary Kedit as well as Jane Kemunto who was poached from Mua Girls Secondary School in Machakos County to do duty for them.

Pool B has Olympic High School, St. Hannah’s, Pangani Girls High School, Peter Kibukosya and St. Teresa Girls while OLM Shauri Moyo, Embakasi Girls, Olm South B, Mt Laverna and Precious Blood Riruta are in Group C, Ngara Girls, Parklands Arya, Ushirika Secondary, Nembu and Raila Educational Centre are in Pool D.

In rugby 15s, champions Dagorreti play Ofafa Jericho while Upper Hill line up against Moi Forces Academy in the semi-finals.

Dagoretti coach Victor Walgwe said: “Like any other team, we are keen to reach the final but we will not be overconfident.”