School games start under new format

The new Kenya secondary schools sports structure officially rolls out on Friday countrywide with sub-county competitions.

Apart from changing the structure by collapsing the games into two terms as opposed to the initial arrangement when the games were spread across three terms, this year’s competition will also enjoy full funding by the government.

Previously, individual schools remitted funds to county education offices to organise the games.

Friday’s action will feature athletics, 15s rugby and handball which were earlier in Term Two ‘A’. Other disciplines to feature will be basketball, swimming and hockey which have been retained in the Term One programme. In Kwale County’s Matuga Sub-county, Kaya Tiwi Secondary School, still fresh from clinching the Shanzu Open Sports  Festival girls’ basketball title, will be seeking to defend the district title they won last year when they hosted the games.

The Matuga Sub-county games will take place at Shimba Hills Secondary School Friday and Saturday.

Matuga County Secondary Schools Sports Association chairman Robert Aran Maima on Thursday the games will be used to select the district team for the county games to be held at Mazeras High School from March 7.

“We have made all arrangements including inspecting the facilities to be  used  which are up to standard and cannot for the games kicks off this morning,” Aran, who is also the principal of Kaya Tiwi Secondary School, said.
Elsewhere, Ribe Girls won the hockey title while Kaya Tiwi Secondary dominated the boys and girls basketball events at the annual Shanzu Sports Festival at Shanzu Teachers College and Shimo La Tewa school grounds.

But it was the basketball matches that produced fireworks especially the boys final between Kaya Tiwi and Shimo La Tewa school which went to the wire.