Thrilling battles expected in Regional school games

Schools will vie for honours in basketball, rugby 15s, hockey, handball, swimming, athletics and cross country.

In Nairobi Region, action starts on Wednesday morning in different venues at Makadara Sub- County with Buru Buru Girls High School the main venue. 

Dagoretti High School (boys’ basketball), Buru Buru Girls High School (girls’ basketball), Hospital Hill High School (boys’ handball), Dagoretti Mixed Secondary School (girls’ handball), Lenana School (rugby 15s), Nairobi School (boys’ hockey) and Pangani Girls High School (girls’ hockey) will all put their titles on the line after successfully coming through the sub-county level.

Rugby 15s has already reached the quarter-final stage with holders Lenana School facing Jamhuri High School, Upper Hill battling Aquinas High School, 2023 champions Ofafa Jericho High School up against Dagoretti, and Nairobi School face Strathmore School. All matches will be played at Ofafa Jericho.

Lenana coach Nick Abok has urged his charges not to underrate their opponents.

“We are at a stage where there is no room for error and that is why we are focused on just playing this knockout game as a final,” Abok told Nation Sport on Tuesday.

“Every team that has made it to the last eight is capable of winning the title, and we hope that will be us come Saturday," he added.

Last year, Lenana, fondly referred to as ‘Changez’, ended a 19-year absence from the nationals after beating Upper Hill 6-5 in the Nairobi Region finals at Jamhuri High School.  

In basketball, girls’ champions Buru Buru Girls will be banking on home-court advantage to retain their crown and qualify for another national championship. Buru headline Pool ‘A’  and will battle Clay City Secondary School and Moi Educational Centre. 

In Nyanza Region, competition starts on Thursday at Rapogi Boys High School and Uriri School in Migori County. 

In boys’ basketball, defending champions Agoro Sare (Homa Bay) are placed in Pool 'A' alongside Nyanchwa Boys (Kisii), Ekenyoro Technical (Nyamira), and Migori Boys.

Nyanchwa Boys, who have dominated Kisii County by winning eight titles in the last nine years, are determined to dethrone Agoro Sare, their perceived biggest rivals.

Nyanchwa head coach Kepher Mogire is confident in his team’s preparations, despite facing little competition in the county championships.

"We did not get tough teams in the county championships as we had anticipated, but in the regionals, I know it won’t be a walk in the park. We have, however, trained well. Most of the players in my squad were there last year, and they have shown maturity," Mogire said.

Pool 'B' features hosts Rapogi, who will battle it out with Sawagongo (Siaya), Ringa Boys (Homa Bay), and a yet-to-be-decided representative from Kisumu County, with Onjiko and Maseno School still embroiled in a selection tussle.

In girls’ basketball, Ng’iya (Siaya) are in Pool 'A' alongside Nyakach (Kisumu), Manga (Nyamira), and Kadika (Migori). Ng’iya were crowned champions last year, but were later disqualified for fielding an ineligible player.

Nyakach will be looking for revenge after narrowly losing 44-41 to Ng’iya in last year’s final in Kisumu.

In hockey, Ng’iya are full of confidence after ending Nyamira’s Girls Secondary School's near-decade-long dominance in the Siaya County finals. They are grouped in Pool 'A' with Anjego (Migori), Huma (Kisumu), and Amaiko (Kisii).

In the boys’ category, defending champions Ringa are in Pool A with Kanga (Migori) and Maseno School (Kisumu). Pool B features Cardinal Otunga (Kisii), Mbita (Homa Bay), Pe Hill (Migori), and Chianda (Siaya).

Rugby 15s promises thrilling encounters, with defending champions Kisii High placed in Pool A alongside Gekano (Nyamira), Nyabondo (Kisumu), and homeboys Rapogi.

Group 'B' features a showdown of perennial powerhouses, with St Mary’s Yala, Anjego, Agoro Sare, and Cardinal Otunga Mosocho battling for top honours