EAC Parliamentary Games: Gold, silver for Kenya in darts
Nominated MP Bishop Jackson Kosgei playing darts at the ongoing 14th edition of the East African Community Inter-Parliamentary Games at Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa on December 11. 2024.
What you need to know:
- On Tuesday, Makueni Women Representative Rose Museo claimed Kenya’s first gold medal in the darts competition, defeating Laura Kanusu of Uganda 2-1.
- Museo's win marked a milestone as she became the first athlete to win three gold medals in the competition, having topped the podium in South Sudan (2022) and Rwanda (2023) as well.
Kenya continued to excel in the darts competition at the 14th edition of the East African Community Inter-Parliamentary Games (EAC-IPG) in Mombasa on Wednesday, with MPs Bishop Jackson Kosgei and Tim Wanyonyi earning gold and silver medals, respectively, in the men’s sitting wheelchair category.
The event, hosted at the Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa, has brought together participants from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania. The EAC-IPG, which began in 2009, aims to promote regional integration through sports.
On Tuesday, Makueni Women Representative Rose Museo claimed Kenya’s first gold medal in the darts competition, defeating Laura Kanusu of Uganda 2-1.
Museo's win marked a milestone as she became the first athlete to win three gold medals in the competition, having topped the podium in South Sudan (2022) and Rwanda (2023) as well.
Kosgei, a nominated MP with extensive experience in the sport, approached the competition with confidence. He secured the overall victory in the men’s sitting wheelchair category after defeating his compatriot Wanyonyi 2-1 and East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) legislator Alex Bahati 2-0.
“The spirit of the game is EAC integration, so when a country wins a medal, it is for the whole region. But on the part of Kenya, we tried our best; we had some fair preparations and I think we tried our best. The results are really encouraging, we feel that our efforts are not in vain,” said Kosgei.
Kosgei, who noted his growth in the sport since his amateur days in South Sudan, added, “In South Sudan, I was really an amateur. I have really grown in the game and I think I am going to be one of the best. I feel really motivated and I hope to do better next year.”
Museo, serving her third term, expressed her joy at winning another gold medal. “I am a golden girl and I feel nice about it. I thank the government and the MPs for including a game that we who are disabled can take part in…The only thing I prepared was my mind, and one thing I have come to realize is that it was a hidden talent. It is something I discovered that I can do without practice,” she said.
Westlands MP Wanyonyi won the silver medal after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Bahati.
In other events on Wednesday, EALA made history by securing their first-ever victory in men’s volleyball, edging out Uganda 3-2 in a tense match at the Aga Khan Academy. The scores were 20-25, 25-21, 21-25, 25-20, and 15-13.
“We are very excited because we have never won a volleyball match. It is exciting and very fulfilling for us to beat a very strong team called Uganda,” said EALA legislator Kanini Kega, who also warned the 10-time champions Kenya, “Kenya, be ready, we are dealing with you tomorrow (today) and we are very excited.”
In netball, EALA triumphed over Burundi with a 38-34 win at the same venue. The competition will continue until Thursday next week.
