Easy passage for champions Upper Hill at games

As the landscape of schools continue to change with time countrywide, traditional football playing institutions in Nairobi continue to rule the sport like colossus.

The scenario was evident during the Nairobi Districts games after big names sailed through to the Nairobi City County Secondary School Games scheduled to take place at Starehe Boys Centre on next weekend.

And although regular schools maintained their supremacy, a number of new teams emerged in various districts.

National champions Upper Hill High won the Dagoretti Championships to earn a lot in the County Games and keep alive their dream of defending their title in August's Airtel Rising Stars Championships in Kakamega.

Parading a second string team, Upper Hill managed to defeat newcomers Kabiro 3-1 in Dagoretti District final and advance in the Term Two 'B' games.

Upper Hill coach Gilbert Walusimbi said that the district competition was merely meant for the exposing new players who are untested at competitive level.

"We decided to parade upcoming players at district level and I'm glad that they have delivered," said Walusimbi.

"We'll continue to give these players more opportunities as we head to the Metropolitan Games," said Walusimbi.

Despite falling against the might of Upper Hill, Kabiro also qualified for the County Games by virtue of being the runners-up.

In Makadara, Aquinas upset pre-match favourites Makongeni 1-0 to lift the district title and sail through the eagerly awaited county games.

Aquinas victory was a great revenge considering that Makongeni had beaten them 3-0 at group stage.

Makongeni principal and head coach Ken Bunyasi said: "My boys underrated Aquinas because we had beaten them in group stage. I have instructed the players not to repeat the mistake again when we play in the county games."

Makongeni went into the final as the favourite team especially after they had dismissed next door neighbors and rivals Ofafa Jericho 2-0 in one of the semi-finals, with goals from Aaron Lumiri and Harry Ndejje.

In Westland, the Nairobi School and Nairobi Milimani earned tickets to participate in the county games. Milimani team are not new faces in the games as they represented the then Nairobi Province during Airtel Rising Stars National Championships at Moi Air Force in 2011.

But the school that neighbours State House has since disappeared off the games' radar, and remains to be seen whether they will announce their return in style.

Newcomers Raila Educational Centre and Olympic qualified to represent Lang'ata at the County level. Unlike Olympic, who are regulars at the high school games, Raila Educational Centre are making their first appearance at this level.

Other teams that qualified for the county games are Starehe Boys Centre, Jamhuri, Moi Forces Academy and former National champions, Kamukunji.

Nairobi Secretary General Moses Mbuthia said: "The fact that new institutions like Raila Education Centre are coming up shows that our games are fast developing with time."

"And who knows, maybe it's time for small teams like Kabiro, Raila Educational Centre or Milimani again to represent Nairobi in Metropolitan Games," he said.

Mbuthia said that draws for the games will be released soon. The "Metro" Championships will be staged at Oloitoktok on July 13-15.