METROPOLITAN SHOWDOWN: Laiser Hill and Olympic start title defence today

Passenga Boys' Kelvin Obala, control the ball on Laiser Hill Boys' Charles Chege during the 5te Edition of Airtel Rising Stars term 2B Games at Machakos Boys High School on Wednesday, July 29, 2015. PHOTO/ JONAH ONYANGO.

Laiser Hill Academy and Olympic Mixed School begin their Airtel Rising Stars Term 2B Games football title defence today.

The regional football games for both boys and girls will be played at the Nyayo National Stadium and Upper Hill School.

Also going to battle to defend their honour are girls and boys volleyball champions Kwanthanze and Hospital Hill as the Metropolitan Region games get under way.

Laiser Hill, who beat 2013 national champions Upper Hill 5-4 on post-match penalties last year to be crowned champions are keen to retain their title.

Coach Anthony Kirimi told Feverpitch they are determined to maintain the status quo, but are well aware that all teams are strong.

“Our main objective is to retain the regional title, but I know it will not be easy because all teams are strong. Our opponents are all eyeing the trophy, which means we need to work harder than last year,” Kirimi said.

He said they would take one match at a time as each will depend on the strength of their opponent.

Laiser Hill are in pool A and their first task will be against Machakos County champions Muvuti, while the other group encounter will feature Nairobi and Makueni second teams Olympic and Ngaakaa. In their second group ties Laiser Hill will tackle Olympic while Muvuti will play Ngaakaa.

Upper Hill on the other hand will be seeking to reclaim lost glory when they face off with Makueni champions Utithi in pool B, which will also see former Metropolitan champions Brother Beausang of Kajiado County take on Machakos’ Kimanza. Upper Hill will then square it out with Beausang in the second preliminary match.

In 2014, Beausang beat Upper Hill 2-0 to snatch the regional title, ending their journey to the nationals where they were to defend the national title.

Upper Hill coach Joseph Makokha is optimistic his side will go all the way to the nationals and salvage their pride. “We have been out in the cold for two years now, but I believe my boys are ready to go all the way to the nationals,” he said.

In the girls’ contest Olympic renew their rivalry with archrivals Matuu Memorial of Machakos in their opening pool B match and later on face Kajiado’s Ibilsil.

The other pool B match will have Utithi play Ilbisil and take on Matuu Memorial in their second tie. In group A Makueni’s Kikima play Kajiado’s Kimuka whereas Mua Hills of Machakos take on former national champions Maina Wanjigi.

In girls’ volleyball, champions Kwanthanze open their title defence against Kajiado’s Noonkopir in pool A while last year’s losing finalists Soweto of Nairobi face off with Nduluni of Makueni. Regional debutants Nembu of Nairobi play Makueni champions Utithi in pool A as Matuu Memorial entertain Kimuka.

In Boys’ volleyball, winners Hospital Hill lock horns with Oloitoktok Boys in pool A which will also see Kavumbu of Makueni play Kangundo.