Battle for East Africa titles begins in Kakamega today

St Joseph's Jobo football team players during a training session at Kakamega high school ahead of the East Africa games. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard] Kakamega is set to come alive today as the 22nd edition of the Federation of the East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association Games gets underway in different venues. The annual showpiece has attracted teams from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and guests Ivory Coast. Teams will do battle in football, volleyball, rugby 15s and 7s, basketball 5x5 and 3x3, hockey handball, swimming, athletics, netball and racquet games. There will also be other sports on demonstration such as cricket, beach volleyball, chess, scrabble, lacrosse and dancesport. The championship will also feature primary schools and Special Needs Education (SNE) competitions. Hosts Kenya will be looking to wrestle the title from Uganda who have won the overall title for the past four years. Kenya last triumphed in the 2018 edition held in Musanze, Rwanda, before relinquishing the crown to Uganda in the 2019 event held in Arusha, Tanzania. Uganda won it again in 2022 when the games resumed following a two-year break occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic, before retaining it in 2023 and 2024. In the pick of today's matches, Kenyan girls' football champions Butere Girls Secondary School will renew hostilities with Ugandan outfit Amus College in their Group B opener. The two sides also faced off in last year's opener with Red Commandos winning 2-0. Butere will be hoping to go one better this year after winning silver last year, losing to another Ugandan side St Noa Girls. Butere coach Edwin Sakwa said they aim to start on a positive note and is confident that playing at home will give them an extra advantage. "My girls are ready to shine on home soil and I promise our supporters that we will fight to ensure the title remains at home. Amus are a good side but we beat them last year and I am confident that we can extend that good form," Sakwa said yesterday. "We have learnt vital lessons from our second place finish last year and I know the Kenyan sides have what it takes to ensure we end the Ugandan dominance in the discipline," he added. In the other group match, former champions Arcbishop Njenga Girls Secondary School take on Boni Concilli from Uganda as they also aim to get off to a winning start. Another Kenyan side Kobala Mixed Secondary School will mark their return to the regional stage with a tie against Tanzania's Fountain Gate Secondary School in the same group. Kobala coach Julius Aminga said there is no room for mistakes if they hope to play in the final. "We are glad that we are back in the East African Games and we want to make it a memorable one so that means we need to be on top of our game," he said. In Group A, Madira Girls Secondary School and Nasokol Girls' Secondary School will fly the Kenyan flag with only the top two sides advancing to the semi-final. Madira, who finished second in the national championship, face former winners Kawempe Muslim of Uganda, while Nasokol make their bow at the showpiece against Alliance Secondary School from Tanzania. The last Kenyan side to win the title was Kwale Girls in 2018 In boys' football, national champions St Joseph's Boys, Kitale will open their account against Rwanda's APE Rugunga in group B. St Joseph's, buoyed by their maiden triumph at the national stage after seeing off Musingu Boys High School will be keen to make a mark. They bowed at the preliminary stage during their debut last year. Debutantes Agai Secondary School are the other Kenyan side in the group and they will take on Tanzania's Benjamin Mkapa Secondary School. Record holders St Mary's Kitende of Uganda face Burundi's EPM Mpanda in the other match in the pool. In Group A, last year's bronze medalists Musingu face Kizuka Secondary School from Tanzania, while Highway Secondary School face defending champions Amus College from Uganda. Butere Boys High School play former winners Buddo Secondary School from Uganda in the other pool encounter. The Kenyan sides will be looking to reclaim the title last won by Barding in 2016. In girls' volleyball, holders Kesogon Mixed Secondary School will begin their title defence against compatriots St Mathias Mwitoti, who last featured at the championship in 2022, in Group B. Kesogon will be hoping to bounce back from the disappointment of losing in the national final to Kwanthanze Secondary School. The two rivals have faced off in the last three regional finals with Kwanthanze winning twice and Kesogon triumphing last year. Bishop Sulumeti play Uganda's Bukkedea Comprehensive also in the same pool. In Group A, record champions Kwanthanze will begin their campaign against Kajunjumele Secondary School from Tanzania. Kwanthanze are hungry to reclaim their crown which they relinquished to Kesogon last year. Kenya's Soweto Academy will entertain Uganda's Amus College in another pool tie. Kenyan boys will be looking to wrestle the volleyball crown from Burundi's LT St. Luc. Kenya will be represented by four sides including former winners Malava Boys High School who clash with the defending champions in an explosive Group A opener. Malava are returning to the regional stage having last featured at the 2018 edition in Rwanda. Rookies Mwaluphamba will make their bow against former winners Standard High School Zzana of Uganda in another pool encounter. In Group B, Gogo Mixed Secondary School will be up against St Philippe Nelly from Rwanda, while St Peter's Mumias entertain Uganda's Namugongo Vocational and Secondary School. In basketball, national champions Butere Girls play Olympic High in all-Kenyan encounter in Group B. Butere are making their fourth stab at the title having made their debut in 2018. Uganda's Nabisunsa play Orkeeswa Secondary School from Tanzania, while Itigi Secondary School also from Tanzania face Gahini of Rwanda. In Group A, 2016 champions Kaya Tiwi tackle defending champions St Noa Girls from Uganda in their opener, as St Joseph's take on ESB Kamonyi of Rwanda. The Kenyan girls will be out to reclaim the title last won when the country hosted the games in Eldoret. In boys' matches, record winners Laiser Hill Academy face Tanzania's Juhudi Secondary School in Group B. Laiser Hill will hope to go one better this year after their second-place finish in Uganda last year after losing 51-54 to hosts Amus College in the final. In the same pool, Lukenya Academy face St Cyprian High School Kyabakade of Uganda, while Kibuli Secondary School play Marie Reine Muhanga of Rwanda. In Group A, Dagoretti High face an uphill task against holders Amus, as Dr Aggrey come up against Seeta High School.

Battle for East Africa titles begins in Kakamega today

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