Africa-Press – Kenya. Debutants at the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association national championships volleyball contest will hope to upset the form book when the competition serves off in Nakuru on Thursday.
16 teams (eight in each of the boys’ and girls’ categories) will challenge for a place in the finals set for Sunday. The winners of the four-day competition will represent the country at the East African games in Tanzania.
Nyakongo (Nyanza), Central’s Karima, Kesogon from Rift Valley and a yet-to-be-known team from North Eastern are in Pool ‘A’ of the girls’ category.
Pool ‘B’ has red-hot newbies Mwitoti from Western, Kwanthanze (Eastern), Coast representatives Vyambani and Nairobi’s Soweto.
Kesogon from Trans-Nzoia are favourites to win Pool ‘A’ considering their experience. The mixed-day school has reached the nationals in the past two editions and remains the team to beat.
Kesogon has produced players such as middle-blocker Belinda Barasa who turns up for KCB while Sarah Namisi, a left attacker by trade, is attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigation in the national women’s league.
Mwitoti cannot be overlooked in the group of death either despite dining with the ‘big girls’ for the first time. The little-known school from Kakamega swept aside an accomplished Butere team. They also set tongues wagging after humiliating multiple former national champions Lugulu during the Western region games staged at St. Peter’s Mumias over the weekend.
However, defending champions Kwanthanze is the team to beat after bagging national and East Africa titles in the past two editions.
Coach Justine Kigwari is credited for Kwanthanze’s success and it will require magic to stop the Machakos-based team from defending their title.
Gladys Ekaru, Sharon Chepchumba, Pamela Masaisai and Emmaculate Nekesa are among Kwanthanze products lighting the local league as well as the national women’s team Malkia Strikers. Soweto are also a tough nut to crack after becoming the go-to team in Nairobi.
Vitengani (Coast), St. Joseph’s (Nyanza), Ruthimitu (Nairobi) and a North Eastern team make up boys’ Pool ‘A’. Former East Africa champions Cheptil (Rift Valley), Western’s Namwela, Central Kings Gikondi and Kaundu from Eastern are pitted in Pool ‘B’.
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