Schools basketball game called off due to tension

Emmauel Mghanga (left) of Kaya Tiwi Secondary School jumps high to clear the ball as Micheal Makini (right) of Mazeras Boys High School attempts to score a basket in one of the opening matches during the Kwale County Secondary Schools Term One games at Mazeras High School in Kwale County, March 10, 2016. Mazeras Boys High School who are the defending champions, won the match 82-29. [PHOTO BY GIDEON MAUNDU/STANDARD].

A secondary school basketball game had to be called off in Matuga sub-country, in Kwale County, as students from two fierce rivals schools almost came to blows over the weekend.

The games hosted at Kaya Tiwi School started well on day one, but threatened to boil over when the hosts’ boys basketball team came up against Shimba Hills.

Word went round that a student from Kaya Tiwi had been injured during a drama festival, running concurrently with the school games.

It was not immediately clear how the student was injured, but the information caused tension in the school.

Quick intervention of the sub-country sports secretary, Shungu Changawa and teachers from both schools, who unanimously agreed to suspend the fixture so as to defuse the tension, saved the day.

Changawa said they averted a possible violence between the two schools by calling off the final after both teams defeated their opponents in the semi-finals to sail through to the final.

“Although both teams have qualified for the Kwale County games set for next month by the virtue of being finalists, a way must be found to have the final played to get a winner,” Changawa said.

“Both principals of the involved schools will agree amicably on when the final should be played,” Changawa said.

Also not played was the girls basketball match between Shimba Hills and Piat Academy to decide the second team to join champions Kaya Tiwi School for the county games.

The winner of the Shimba Hills and Piat Academy would have decided the second-placed team and the organisers have to go back to the drawing board and order for a playoff to decide the team to accompany Kaya Tiwi School.

In early games that went uninterrupted, Matuga Girls won all their hockey matches to successfully retain the title after beating Shimba Hills and Waa Girls with an identical 2-0 before holding Kwale Girls to a barren draw.

In boys hockey, Waa hit Kwale Seminary 5-0 and went ahead to beat Kwale High and Shimba Hills 1-0 respectively.

Kwale High School won the boys rugby tittle with nine points. Other disciplines competed for were decathlon and heptathlon.