School games: It's all systems go as teams eye national glory

It’s all systems go for this year’s Brookside Secondary Schools National Term One games that begin on Tuesday at different venues in Kisumu County.

In a historic 23rd year of immense support to the games that have served as the launching pad for Kenya’s sports stars, sponsors Brookside Dairy yesterday launched the games at the Ministry of Education offices, Nairobi.

Regional champions will be battling for glory in rugby 15s, basketball, hockey, handball, athletics, swimming and cross country.

At stake are the national bragging rights and tickets to this year's Federation of East Africa School Sport Association (FEASSA) games to be staged in Morogoro, Tanzania.

Brookside which has religiously nurtured sporting talent through its sponsorship for over two decades reaffirmed its commitment by sponsoring this year’s games to the tune of Sh30m.

Of the total sum Sh21.5m is direct support for the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) while balance will be used to finance other logistics such as venue branding and publicity.

Speaking during the launch, Brookside Dairy Corporate Affairs and Communications Manager Wilson Okong’o said that the milk processor is pleased to have helped nurture sporting talent in schools through the sponsorship for over two decades.

“Today marks the 23rd year of Brookside Dairy’s involvement as the primary partner in the KSSSA Term One games. We are delighted that during this period we have provided significant funding, resources and advocacy to a social entity that seeks to harness sporting talent of the youth in our country,” Okong’o said.

He added that the purpose of the games is in line with Brookside’s mission and values due to the key role that the youth play in society.

“The objectives of these games sit well with us as Brookside Dairy because the youth are the primary agents of change who drive social and economic progress for our beloved country. Brookside Term One games have served to bring out and nurture sporting prowess of our young people by facilitating them to go forth in freedom in their various sporting skills.”

He underscored that the processor is keen on strengthening the promotion of talent in sports by creating a structured pathway for young people in their various skills on the field.

“We will continue to support the government efforts in mainstreaming the physical education strand within the creative arts and sports pathway in the Competency-Based Education.”

The sponsorship benefits students through the kitting of all participating teams which encourages parity regardless of where the students are coming from. This has ensured that all participants have a sense of belonging when they take to the field.  

Head, Directorate of Field Co-ordination and Co-Curricular Activities Nelson Sifuna praised Brookside emphasising that the sponsorship has brought equality to the games making all students feel comfortable during competition.

“We appreciate the role that Brookside has played for the past 2023 years partnering with us to ensure that when our students go to the field they have a uniform and they are all equal, an equalizer so that no school will feel superior than any other.”