Gichovi leads Kenya's swimming medal hunt

Nicole Kowido of Lwak Girls during a Freestyle encounter of the Nyanza Regional Swimming Gala that was held at the Aga Khan Primary School Pool in Kisumu, she won the category of the event [Phillip Orwa, Standard]

Regional champion of the pool Hadassah Gichovi will be out to rule the swimming pool for a third year on the trot at this year’s Federation of East Africa secondary school games in Musanze, Rwanda.

Gichovi, who has been the best girl swimmer at the regional games since making her debut in Eldoret in 2016, will be seeking to extend her reign when she plunges into the Rwandan waters.

Gichovi will lead a stellar cast of Kenyan swimmers who excelled during the Term One national games in Embu.

The youngsters have also excelled in local and international events away from the school competition.

Gichovi, who is a Form Three student at Loreto Convent Valley Road, won the overall East Africa title in 2016 and 2017 and was also the top girl at the national games tied on 21 points with Lucia Ruchti of Germany School.

Her 2016 brilliance earned her a SOYA award in the schools category beating her tennis, table tennis and badminton counterparts.

According to her coach, Lydia Musei, Gichovi has been working hard in readiness for the East Africa challenge.

“She is a very hardworking swimmer who is always striving to get better and improve her times because she is not contented with being an average athlete."

Siblings Victoria Okumu and Virginia Okumu will also spearhead Kenya’s medals hunt.

Others in the team are Ruchti, Lenise Wanakai, Angela Baraka, Samantha Hawala, Ayata Nyanchama, Talai Geheb, Nikita Cassandra and Dhanush Savla from Nairobi.

Others are Stephanie Machuka from Central as well as the Coast trio of Riva Karia, Kimberly Nyawira and Kreeshi Shavdia.

The boys' team has Emmanuel Ndonga, Osama Mahmoud, Trevor Mwamisi, Ricardo Bilal, Abdalla Mazrui, Jerome Waudo, John Paul Makana, Ismail Abdalla and Shiven Bechra.