National primary schools games begin today

BY RODGERS ESHITEMI AND PHILIP ORWA

Kisumu Polytechnic and Lions High School both in Kisumu County will host the 2014 Kenya National Primary School Ball Games and Gymnastics from today to Wednesday.

A total of eight teams drawn from the 47 counties will take part in the games, which include football, netball, volleyball, handball and gymnastics for both boys and girls.

The games, which earlier kicked off at the district level, will now be an eight regions’ affair where Nairobi has been transformed to Metropolitan region, Nyanza into Lake region, Rift Valley to Nakuru region, Mombasa to Coast region, Central to Aberdares region, Western to Nzoia region, North Eastern to Garissa region and Eastern Province to Northern region. 

Nzoia region was the overall winner in 2013 games held in Bungoma County after scooping five of the disciplines: Net ball (boys), handball (boys and girls) and emerged second in boys’ football. Lake Region will seek to defend the boys’ football title while Metropolitan are the defending champions of the football girls’ title.

In boys’ football, Lake Region will kick off their title campaign today with a clash against Garissa in Pool A as Nakuru face off with the Coast region while Nzoia will play Metropolitan and Aberdares take on Northern region in Pool B fixtures.

1400 pupils

In the girls’ category, defending champions Metropolitan will battle with Northern region in  a pool A opening match.

The under-13 games, which have been sponsored for the sixth year in a row by Nestlé Kenya through its Milo brand in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Kenya Primary Schools Sports Association (KPSSA), has attracted a total of 1,400 pupils and 200 officials from across the country’s 47 counties.

Speaking during the launch of the 2014 Kenya Primary School Sports sponsorship in Nairobi, the Acting Education Secretary, Kiragu Wa Magochi, praised Nestle Kenya for their continued support.

“Through the sponsorship from Nestlé Kenya, the ministry has been able to enhance competition in primary schools for five years and are now enjoying the renewal of the sponsorship for the next 10 years,” said Magochi.

Nestlé Kenya Managing Director Svetlana Obruchkova said the company will also provide breakfast to all pupils and officials in the games.