Rift Valley reign supreme in schools showpiece
What you need to know:
- St Anthony’s Boys Kitale also retained their hockey title following their 2-1 against Upper Hill.
- Last year’s East Africa boys’ hockey champions Kisumu Day were major casualties at the games as they failed to qualify for the regional games after losing 1-0 to Musingu in the play-offs.
- Trans Nzoia Mixed reclaimed their girls’ hockey title after beating Tigoi 2-1 in the final to make it two national crowns.
Rift Valley Region won the overall team title at this year’s Brookside Secondary Schools National Term One games that concluded at Kangaru School, Embu County on Saturday.
The region reigned supreme with 70 points, six ahead of Western who finished second on 63 points.
Nyanza Region was placed third with 58 points with Nairobi and Coast Regions tied for fourth spot on 51 points each, as hosts Eastern (39), Central (37) and North Eastern (6) finishing sixth, seventh and eighth respectively.
Rift Valley proved their dominance winning the boys’ basketball, boys’ and girls’ hockey as well as the boys’ and girls’ athletics titles.
Laiser Hill made it seven basketball titles despite facing stiff competition from newcomers Sigalame, who finished second and also qualified for the East Africa Games set for Musanze, Rwanda in August.
Laiser’s James Mariel Malek, who scored 28 points in the final, was voted as the competition’s Most Valuable Player (MVP).
Sigalame alongside their Western counterparts Butere Girls, who lost to Kaya Tiwi in the girls’ final certainly lit up the championship and won over fans for their impressive displays despite failing to dethrone the incumbents.
Kenya Secondary School Sports Association Secretary General David Ngugi was one those won over by the new teams.
“I think it is good for the competition if we have teams coming up and upsetting the status quo because it shows the growth of the sport,” Ngugi said on Sunday.
St Anthony’s Boys Kitale also retained their hockey title following their 2-1 against Upper Hill.
Last year’s East Africa boys’ hockey champions Kisumu Day were major casualties at the games as they failed to qualify for the regional games after losing 1-0 to Musingu in the play-offs.
Trans Nzoia Mixed reclaimed their girls’ hockey title after beating Tigoi 2-1 in the final to make it two national crowns.
Musingu’s Ian Olando and Joan Anjao of Tigoi walked away with the boys’ and girls’ hockey MVP awards.
Western Region returned home with boys’ and girls’ handball crowns as Moi Girls Kamusinga and Kimilili Boys won their eighth and ninth national titles respectively.
Upper Hill saved Nairobi Region’s blushed by winning the rugby 15s title, their first after many failed attempts after a dramatic 15-12 win over newcomers Menengai High School in sudden death.
Meshack Babu of Rift Valley and Gloria Mulei of Eastern emerged the boys' and girls' best athletes.
