Minnows leave champs hurting: St Anthony’s Kitale, Moi Girls Kamusinga and Kaya Tiwi relinquish titles

Minnows leave champs hurting

kenya secondary schools term two A games semi finals Kennedy Simiyu (in red) of Dr. Ribiero High School goes for a score against Barani Secondary School players in one of the rugby semi finals match of the Kenya Secondary Schools Term Two A games championship at the Shanzu Teachers Training College, June 9, 2017. [PHOTO BY GIDEON MAUNDU/STANDARD].

Changing times as giants continue to fall in the secondary school games.

The fall of secondary schools national champions continued as more of last year’s winners failed to defend their titles.

After the five-day Term Two A championships at Shanzu Teachers Training College, Mombasa, no champion from last year’s games remained standing.

St Anthony’s Kitale, Wiyeta, Moi Girls Kamusinga and Kaya Tiwi could not maintain their respective wins - all surrendered and watched helplessly as new kings and queens were crowned.

St Anthony’s, who won the inaugural Under-16 Copa Coca-Cola boys’ football title last year, failed to make it out of their group. The students from Rift Valley lost 2-1 to Garissa High School in their first match and before they could regroup in the second, they had lost 2-1 to hosts Ramisi.

Wiyeta lost 1-0 to Olympic in the girls’ football final, while Kakamega High School defeated Passenga 4-3 in post-match penalties to be crowned the champions.

Garissa captain Mohamud Hassan and Olympic goalkeeper Edith Ogindo were named Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the boys’ and girls’ categories.

Menengai High School were the surprise package of the championships as they lifted the rugby Sevens title.

Taking on well-built and toned Chavakali players in the final, Menengai won 7-5. Davis Ochieng, who was instrumental to their campaign, was named MVP.

St Anne’s Sega brought Moi Girls Kamusinga’s four-year reign in handball to a grinding halt with an emphatic 31-17 victory. Sega, who had lost to Kamusinga in the 2015 and 2016 finals, were more prepared this year and executed their plan with precision.