Regional champions shift focus to KSSSA National Term One games

Pioneer School's Rugby player John Makori prepare putting ball into scrum during Central Region Secondary Schools Term 1 rugby game against Mang'u High School at Mpesa Foundation Academy on Friday March 14, 2025. [Jonah Onyango, Standard] After days of intense battles for regional glory, newly crowned champions have now shifted their focus to the 2025 Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) National Term One games that begin on April 7 to 12 at Shanzu Teachers College and Shimo La Tewa High School, Mombasa. This year's competition will feature a blend of reigning champions, national returnees and newbies. They will be battling for bragging rights and tickets to this year's Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSSA) games that Kenya will host from August 14 to 22 in Eldoret or Nakuru. Apart from crowning champions in rugby 15s, basketball, hockey and handball, the seven regions that completed their games at the weekend also selected composite swimming, athletics and cross-country teams that will represent them in Mombasa. The North Eastern Region will host its Term One games from April 2 to 4 at Sabunley Secondary School and Wajir Girls High School. Like it has become the norm, many champions from last year's event are back to the drawing board after losing their regional titles and will not be featuring at this year's national championship. The going got tough in Nairobi for most champions as they crashed out and by the end of the competition, only Dagoretti High (basketball boys) and Dagoretti Mixed (handball girls) remained standing. Lenana School (rugby 15s), Nairobi School and Pangani Girls (hockey), Buruburu Girls (basketball) and Hospital Hill (handball) were all dethroned. Nairobi School's Emmanuel Irungu (left) and John Kwach of Dagoretti High at Buru Buru Girls during Nairobi Region Secondary Schools Term 1 games on Saturday, March 15, 2025. [Jonah Onyango, Standard] However, lucky ones among them hockey giants St Anthony's Boys High School who have maintained consistency over the year's survived the regional purge and will be in Mombasa to try and reclaim the national gong they lost to Musingu Boys High School in 2023. St Anthony's routed Kapsabet Boys High School 4-0 in the Rift Valley final to retain their title and extend their reign to seven years in a row. The former national and East Africa champions have been to every national since 2017 and have won four out of the six titles since then. Even so, they lost their trophy to Musingu in 2023 and will be looking to recapture it in Mombasa. The boys' Group B which has home boys and last year's East Africa silver medallists St Charles Lwanga, Nairobi's Hospital Hill and Nyanza's Our Lady of Mercy Ringa Boys High School who secured their second straight national appearance is the group to watch. Holders Musingu are expected to have it easy in Group A which has Coast region finalists Mnyenzeni Secondary School, Central's Mpesa Foundation Academy and Eastern's Matiliku Boys High School. Meru School, St Francis Katangi, Nairobi School, and Muranga High School tumbled at the regional level and failed to qualify for the nationals. Tigoi Girls, who edged out former national champions St Cecilia Misikhu 1-0 in the Western Region final, will be out to successfully defend their title. There won't be much changes in the girls' national line up after last year's champions retained their titles. Isabella Wanjiku of Limuru Girls doing breaststroke during Central Region Secondary Schools Term 1 swimming competition at Mpesa Foundation Academy on Friday March 14, 2025. [Jonah Onyango, Standard] AIC Nyayo from Eastern, St Joseph's Girls High School Kitale from Rift Valley, St Charles Lwanga from Coast and Central's Mpesa Academy will be at the nationals to make another attempt at winning the trophy. Nyanza will be represented by newly crowned Ng'iya Girls, Mwiki Secondary from Nairobi and St John's Kaloleni will make a comeback to the national scene. Ng'iya dethroned 2023 National and East Africa champions Nyamira Girls while Mwiki beat Hillcrest in the final after last year's winners Pangani were eliminated in the semis. St John's who won the 2014 crown will be at the games as the second team from the host region because North Eastern doesn't field teams in hockey and rugby. Basketball also culminated in major upsets in some regions. Last year's finalists Agoro Sare relinquished their crown to Sawagongo High School who will now fly the Nyanza flag. Agoro Sare lost 51-58 in the final. Sigalame Boys High School also failed to secure their ticket to the nationals after falling to Friends School Kamusinga 46-49 in a tightly contested Western region final. Reigning champions Dr Aggrey from Coast remain on course to defend their trophy after securing a berth in this year's games. Former titleholders Laiser Hill Academy from Rift Valley, Dagoretti High, Pioneer School from Central and Lukenya School from Eastern sealed their slots after triumphing in their respective regional finals. Butere Girls High School will be looking to protect their honour in girls' basketball after humbling Tigoi 79-29 in the Western final. They will be up against Coast giants Kaya Tiwi and Mpesa Academy who defended their titles and book their national slots. St Joseph's Kitale who dethroned Nasokol in Rift Valley, Nairobi's Olympic Secondary School and Nyanza champions Asumbi are also in the mix. Mwiki Secondary school Hockey player Gloria Okenyuri celebrate their victory against Hillcrest International school during Nairobi Region Secondary Schools Term 1 games at Nairobi school on Saturday, March 15, 2025. [Jonah Onyango, Standard] In Rugby 15s, reigning national and East Africa champions All Saints under the tutelage of Benson Mwenda will be on a mission to retain their title. They sent an early warning to their opponents by hammering Marsabit Mixed 56-0 in the Eastern Region final. Vihiga Boys High School from Western who won the East Africa rugby 7s title last year are also eying the 15s gong. Nyanza's Kisii School, 2018 national winners Upper Hill from Nairobi, Friends School Bwake from Rift Valley, Central's Mangu School and Serani Secondary School who snatched Coast bragging rights from Marafa Secondary School will be out to wrestle the trophy from All Saints. Western handball powerhouses St Luke's Kimilili and Moi Girls Kamusinga will be looking to defend their national titles. This is after they reigned supreme at the regional games. Kimili will face stiff competition from Nyanza's Manyatta High School, Nairobi's Highway, Rift Valley champions St Albert Kamito who return to the games after a two-year ban and Matiliku.

Regional champions shift focus to KSSSA National Term One games

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