Kapkolel prevails

By Oscar Pilipili

Champions St Anthony’s and Kapkolel, both from Rift Valley, qualified for the hockey semi-finals at the Brookside National Secondary Schools Championships at Maseno School Friday.

East African girls’ hockey queens Kerugoya also qualified for the semi-finals. According to semi-finals pairing confirmed by the games organisers, St Anthony’s will clash with Nairobi side Lenana School in the first match. Former champions Friends School Kamusinga of Western take on Coast’s Shimo La Tewa.

Hosts Nyanza have placed two teams — Sinyolo and Asumbi — in girls’ hockey semi-finals. Sinyolo, who are the games newly found glamour girls on the bloc, take on Kerugoya of Central while Asumbi tackle Kapkolel in the second match.

Lillian Jerop of Kapkolel Girls runs away from Valentine Opany of Moi Girls during the Schools Games hockey tie. [PHOTO:TITUS MUNALA/STANDARD]

The semi-finalists qualified following competitive last preliminary matches that were played concurrently to check possible fixing. Lenana School showed character and strength after they beat Kangaru 2-0. Lenana took the lead when Cole Oketch scored after 14 minutes while Grant Wanangwe extended the lead to 2-0 and confirm their place in semifinals as Pool ‘B’ runners-up.

Lead the group

St Anthony’s hit Shimo La Tewa 3-0 in their last preliminary match to finish at the top in Pool ‘A’ with maximum nine points during a match played at Maseno University.

St Anthony’s scored through Amos Barkibir who notched a double while Ian Macharia contributed one for the winners. Kamusinga completed the group stage on a sound note after they defeated hosts side Orero 3-0 with goals from Calvin Omondi, Moses Ademba and Samson Choloti to top Pool ‘B’.

The elimination of Orero and Maseno ended Nyanza’s dream of reclaiming the boys’ trophy, which they won last time in 1997 through Kisumu Boys.

In girls’ final preliminary matches, Kerugoya scored three second half goals to beat Butere of Western 3-0 to top Pool ‘B’ and advance to the semi-finals.

Battle for survival

Kerugoya, aware that their survival in the competition depended on them winning the match, went on the offensive from the first whistle. They dominated the proceedings but were unable to penetrate solid defence of Butere, which easily soaked up the pressure to keep the scores at goalless after 35 minutes.

Kerugoya finally found the target when Captain Rahab Nyambura showed her team mates the way as she converted a penalty corner in the 36th minute.

Nyambura was on target again three minutes later when she converted yet another penalty corner before Yvonne Karanja stretched the match beyond Butere’s reach with a class field goal in the 63rd minute.

St John’s Kaloleni march in the tournament ended when they settled to a 1-1 draw in the other Pool ‘B’ match. Veronicah Maua put Kaloleni ahead with a 42 minute goal but Carey Young equalised for Asumbi five minutes later.

Moi Nairobi finally exit the competition when they lost 1-0 against St Joseph’s Kibwezi while Kapkolel beat Sinyolo 2-1 to finish top in Pool ‘A’.