Handball queens Moi Girls Kamusinga keen to defend East Africa crown

Melvin Khaemba of Moi Girls Kamusinga in action during national Term One game in Kisumu. [Washington Onyango, Standard]

Reigning East Africa handball champions Moi Girls Kamusinga are gearing up for battle as they seek to defend their title in Morogoro, Tanzania.

Having already retained their national trophy in Kisumu early in the year, Kamusinga are now focused on extending their regional reign.

They will be up against 10 other sides, among them their peers St Joseph’s Girls Senior School Kitale and Nyakach Girls who they outsmarted during the National Term One games to firm their grip on their title.

However, they face stiff competition from their opponents from Uganda, Rwanda and hosts Tanzania who are eager to dethrone them. Kamusinga coach Godfrey Simiyu said they will rise to the occasion.

“We are ready to defend our title because we will fight to the end. We never relent, and we are taking the same spirit to this year’s challenge. We are in a tough pool, but I believe my players are equal to the task.”

Kamusinga, who recovered the East Africa crown from the Ugandans last year, wants to extend their reign for two years in a row.

They had won the trophy in 2019 but lost it to Rwanda’s Kiziguro Secondary School after the resumption of the games in 2022 following a two-year suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Uganda’s Kawanda Secondary grabbed it in 2023, then passed it to their Kibuli Secondary School in 2024.

They launch their title defence campaign in Group A alongside Nyakach, former winners Kiziguro and Kawanda as well as Wampeewo Ntake from Uganda and their hosts Kazima. Kamusinga must come out of the six-team pool unscathed to enhance their chances of retaining their title.

Kenya’s national silver medallists St Joseph’s Girls Senior School Kitale are in Group B together with 2024 and multiple East Africa champions Kibuli, their Gombe compatriots who will also be looking to recapture the title they last won in 2023, and the Tanzanian duo of Diongoya and Ibaba.

St Joseph’s will have everything to fight for as they look to beat the preliminary hurdle and reach the knockouts. Having settled for bronze last year, they will be out for an upgrade to the top two slots.