Kisumu Boys, Kakamega High to clash at Yala Invitational annual games

Steven Oyieno of Ober Boys tussles for the ball with John Michael of St Mary's Yala.[Washington Onyango,Standard]

Kisumu Boys and Kakamega High are among more than 25 schools expected to take part in the ninth edition of the Yala Invitational annual games to be held at St Mary's School, Yala in Siaya County on Saturday.

This will be the first school sports event to be held in the region since the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) championships were abruptly suspended in March 2020 when Kenya reported its first case of Covid-19.

The tournament will feature rugby sevens, rugby 15s, basketball, hockey, football, volleyball, handball and racquet games.

The games are a major schools’ sport event in Nyanza region organised by the management of St Mary’s School and are aimed at nurturing fledging talent.

The two-day games are expected to offer young players the chance to shine, particularly at this time when schools sports is returning after more than a two-year hiatus brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.

Apart from Yala School, other venues that will host matches are Yala Township Primary and Ulumbi Secondary School.

In rugby 15s, hosts Yala will clash with national secondary schools champions Kakamega High, Koyonzo, Vihiga Boys and Butula Boys.

Schools expected to attend include Kisumu Boys, Koyonzo Secondary from Kakamega, Ambira Boys, Sawagongo High School and Chianda High, all from Siaya.

The tournament has helped unearth several stars in various disciplines and given them an opportunity to purse sports at the elite level.

They include Levy Amunga, who features for Kenya Sevens rugby, Barry Robbinson who plays for Kabras Sugar RFC and Reagan Otieno, who player for Premier League side KCB.

The winners will be given trophies and certificates of participation among other awards.