Battle for national honours begins in Mombasa today

Mombasa comes alive this morning as the Brookside Secondary Schools Term One National Games officially get underway at Shanzu Teachers Training College and Shimo la Tewa High School.

More than 2,000 students from eight regions across the country will battle for top honours in various disciplines over the next five days. The events include basketball, hockey, rugby 15s, handball, swimming, athletics, and cross country. The opening ceremony will be held at Shanzu before the opening matches get underway.

Apart from the coveted national bragging rights, the top three teams in each discipline will earn qualification for the East Africa Secondary Schools Games, slated for August in Eldoret.

Title holders such as Dr Aggrey High School (basketball), Butere Girls Secondary School (basketball), All Saints Embu High School (rugby 15s), Moi Girls Kamusinga (handball), Kimilili Boys High School (handball), Tigoi Girls High School and Musingu Boys High School (all hockey)will be looking to defend their crowns.

Rugby 15s, handball, and basketball matches are set to take place at Shimo la Tewa, while Shanzu Teachers College will host athletics, hockey, and select handball fixtures. Swimming events will be held at the Aga Khan Academy.

Butere Girls coach Sylvester Dindi expressed confidence ahead of their opening match against Rift Valley champions St Joseph's.

“We are not in Mombasa for pleasure, but rather to ensure we return home with the girls' basketball title we’ve won for the last two years,” Dindi said after a morning training session at Shimo la Tewa yesterday.

“Although we’ll miss our seven regular players who completed Form Four last year, we’ve rebuilt a strong team with many Form One students who are ready to ensure they complete their mission of giving our school the national crown once again,” he added. Dindi emphasized that while they respect their opponents, his team’s preparation will be key.

“We are not underestimating our opponents, but I’m confident with the good preparations we’ve made. My girls will show their quality and prove their superiority to make sure our wins from sub-county to county levels were not a fluke.”

Butere Girls, drawn in Pool B, kick off their campaign against Rift Valley’s St Joseph Kitale at 2pm today.

St Joseph’s coach Arnold Sitati also shared his team’s determination.

“Consistent training is the key thing, and the girls are determined to go for the trophy at the nationals. Last year, we didn’t make it to the finals, and we have been working hard because we started preparations early enough,” Sitati said.

He noted the high level of competition at the nationals.

“At the nationals, everyone is a champion, and we won’t underestimate anyone because we are in the pool of death. We will mount our challenge and go for the victory.”

Other teams in Pool B include Mpesa Academy from Central and debutants Asumbi Girls Secondary School from the Nyanza Region.

Pool A features Ikutha Girls Secondary School (Eastern), former champions Kaya Tiwi Secondary School (Coast), Olympic Girls High School (Nairobi), and a team from the North Eastern Region.

In the boys' basketball matches, defending champions Dr Aggrey High School face Nairobi champions Dagoretti High School in a thrilling Pool A clash at 10am. The other match in the pool sees Kamusinga High School (Western) take on Pioneer School from Central.