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School games: Favourites unscathed as Nairobi regional finals get underway
Marcello Tumwa of Dagoretti High school celebrates after scoring against Ndururuno High School during their Nairobi Region Secondary Schools Term Two Games Pool 'A' match at Dagoretti High school, Nairobi on August 26,2022.
What you need to know:
- At Dagoretti High School, the hosts showed no mercy to Ndururuno High School, hitting them 9-0 in their opening pool 'A' football contest
- In Pool 'B', former champions Upper Hill School and Jamhuri Secondary School played out a thrilling 2-2 draw at Mutuini Secondary School
- Lang’ata, who are in pool ‘A’, defeated Clay City 3-0 (25-10,25-12,25-15), while Soweto cruised past Mathare Mixed 3-0 (25-05,25-09,25-09) in pool ‘A’ in their groups that have three teams each
Defending champions Friday made bright starts on Day 1 of the Nairobi Region Secondary Schools Term Two Games at different venues across the city.
Dagoretti High School (boys' football), Dagoretti Mixed Secondary School (girls' football), Soweto Academy (girls' volleyball), Lang'ata High School (boys' volleyball) and Hospital Hill (boys' handball) underlined their intentions of retaining their respective titles with impressive displays.
At Dagoretti High School, the hosts showed no mercy to Ndururuno High School, hitting them 9-0 in their opening pool 'A' football contest.
Forwards Marcello Tumwa and Ryan Wesley grabbed hat-tricks as the holders led 6-0 at the break. In the second half, Dennis Wafula hit a brace with Patrick Kaiser adding the other to hand the hosts the huge win.
The result all but confirmed their place in the last eight ahead of their final pool match against Brown Hill Secondary School late Friday. Dagoretti coach Joseph Makokha was pleased with the result, but warned his charges against complacency.
"It is the kind of start we wanted and it will help us build on confidence as we go on to the knockout stages. We are not underrating any team, but we remain confident that we will retain the title," he told Nation Sport on Friday.
Dagoretti lost to St Anthony's Boys Kitale in the 2019 national final in Kisumu.
In Pool 'B', former champions Upper Hill School and Jamhuri Secondary School played out a thrilling 2-2 draw at Mutuini Secondary School.
Milvarelvine Liyosi (left) of Buru Buru Girls vies with Miriam Susan of Dagoretti Mixed Secondary School during their Nairobi Region Secondary Schools Term Two Games Pool 'A' match at Dagoretti High school, Nairobi on August 26,2022.
In girls' matches, champions Dagoretti Mixed Secondary School also started their title defence on a high after edging out Buru Buru Girls 3-0 in their pool 'A' contest at Dagoretti High School.
A brace from Sharon Asiyo and a further strike from Pauline Wairimu handed the champions the three points.
They were due to face Nairobi Leadership Secondary School in their final match Friday evening. In pool 'D', Our Lady of Fatima Secondary School hit Mwangaza Secondary School 4-0 at Lenana School. Susan Akoth and Nicole Awino both scored twice in the one-sided encounter.
At State House Girls, boys' basketball champions Dagoretti High School qualified for the last eight after securing two wins in pool 'A'.
They started off with an emphatic 57-12 win over Our Lady of Fatima Secondary School, before hitting Peter Kibukosya Secondary School 68-06 in their second match.
Elsewhere, reigning volleyball champions Lang’ata Boys High School and Soweto Girls Academy Friday booked their quarter-final slots.
Lang’ata, who are in pool ‘A’, defeated Clay City 3-0 (25-10,25-12,25-15), while Soweto cruised past Mathare Mixed 3-0 (25-05,25-09,25-09) in pool ‘A’ in their groups that have three teams each.
Ahead of the quarter-finals set for Saturday, Lang’ata coach Francis Mwangi said he is building a team for the future.
“All the players that won the regional title in 2019 completed school and this is a new team. We are building a new outfit that will be ripe next year and therefore whatever the results that we will post in the event, I will be okay with it," said Mwangi.
In the other boys' results, hosts Lenana beat Moi Forces 3-0 (25-11,25-10,25-14), while former champions Hospital Hill Overwhelmed Light Academy 3-0 (25-11,25-16,25-18).
