TOP GUNS READY FOR CHALLENGE: Champs Malava and Kosirai on title defence mission

AIC Kosirai are the new Girls volleyball champs. PHOTO/ JONAH ONYANGO

The national secondary schools boys and girls volleyball champions Malava of Nzoia and AIC Kosirai of Mau are ready to defend their honour.

The two teams will be seeking to maintain the status quo at this year’s Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA), Airtel Rising Stars Term Two B games that begin tomorrow in Kisumu.

Malava defended their Nzoia Region crown in a hard-fought final match against Busia County’s Butula.

In the regional final, Malava survived a scare from two sets down to beat Butula 3-2(21-25, 22-25, 25-10, 28-26,15-7) to book a slot at the nationals.

An appeal by Butula, who alleged that Malava fielded ineligible players cast a dark shadow on their celebration. However, investigations done by the Ministry of Education found them not guilty.

Malava Coach Shadrack Tovoko told Feverpitch they have been busy training and preparing for the nationals.

“The appeal did not dampen our spirits nor deter us from preparing for the nationals. We continued with intensive training because we had nothing to fear or worry about,” Tovoko said.

He added that their main objective this year is to retain the national title and reclaim the East Africa trophy too.

“My boys are very aggressive. They have the character, attitude and passion for winning. They are all committed to this course and I’m confident they will make it happen.”

Malava are in pool B, which is also the pool of death together with last year’s losing finalists Hospital Hill of Metropolitan, former national champions Cheptil from Mau and Northern Region’s Waberi Mixed. They face an uphill task at the preliminaries and have to be at their best to overcome their nemesis if they are to reach the knockout out stage.

Reigning national queens Kosirai have their eyes fixed on a second national gong. The Mau students, who fell giants Kwanthanze 3-2 last year to snatch the top honours are resolute to return home as champions. They are in pool A where they meet with other giant killers Soweto Academy who eliminated Kwanthanze in Metropolitan. Others in the pool are Coastal queens St John’s Kaloleni and Furaha Mixed School of Northern Region.