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Next year could see Kenyan schools reach new heights following their invitation to the World Secondary Schools Games in October in Jinjiang, China.
Participating schools will be chosen from the regional games which bring together teams from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan. The biennial games were first held in 1974 in Germany.
This, as well as the country again hosting the Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSSA) games, will be the in-tray for the Kenya Secondary School Sports Association (KSSSA) next year as Kenya looks to reclaim the team title it lost to Uganda in Tanzania this year.
KSSSA Secretary General David Ngugi believes 2020 will be a special year.
“We are looking forward to next year because we are eager to make our debut at the World Games and also once again play host to our regional neighbours,” Ngugi said.
“Our aim is also to reclaim the overall regional title we lost last year and I urge our coaches to prepare our teams to achieve this feat, he added.
The ending year started on a high for the association as they won the best sports federation award during the Sportsman of the Year Award (Soya) gala held at Fort Jesus, Mombasa in January.
In April’s National Secondary School Term One Games held in Mombasa, Buru Buru Girls Secondary School and Upper Hill upset the form book to claim historic wins. The games saw both rugby 15s and 7s played together for the first time in the games’ calendar.
After an 18-year wait, Buru Buru Girls were finally crowned basketball champions after dethroning Kaya Tiwi 43-41, while Laiser Hill Academy successfully defended their boys’ title during the finals at Shimo La Tewa School and Shanzu Teachers College.
Buru Buru’s win brought an end to Kaya Tiwi's three years’ dominance after holding on to the trophy since their first triumph in 2016. It was Buru Buru's third crown after previous success in 1995 and 2000.
Kakamega High School made more history by winning the rugby 15s title for an eighth time, beating newcomers Dagoretti High School 18-11 in a tough match at the Shimo La Tewa School grounds.
Upper Hill School claimed their maiden rugby sevens title after seeing off holders Laiser Hill 10-5 in a tense final.
Upper Hill rallied after going behind early to Brunson Madigu's try to score a brace of tries through Calvin Kaindi and skipper Brian Kimani. Madigu was sin-binned before the end of the first half, allowing Upper Hill to take advantage.
St Anthony's Boys Kitale and St Cecelia Girls Misikhu were crowned the boys' and girls' hockey champions. In handball, St Joseph's Kirandich from Rift Valley upset champions Moi Girls' Kamusinga 17-13 in the final as St Luke's Kimilili Boys retained the boys' crown after seeing off debutantes Mbooni Boys 35-21.
The only blight to the championship was the untimely death of Daniel Mokua, a Form Four student from Muhuri Muchiri Secondary School in Nairobi, who drowned in the Indian Ocean on the eve of the games. In late July, national Term Two Games made a return to the lakeside city of Kisumu with teams doing battle in under 19 and under 16 football, volleyball, netball and racquet games.
And the city did not disappoint, with huge crowds following the five-day action at the Moi Stadium, Kisumu. In the end, only Kaya Tiwi Secondary School (netball) and Kwanthanze Secondary School (volleyball) retained their titles.
Nyanza’s Nyakach Girls, St Anthony's Boys Secondary School from Rift Valley, Coast's Serani Secondary Schools, Wiyeta Girls Secondary School and Mogonga PAG Secondary School from Kisii County in Nyanza region were crowned new winners in various disciplines.
Boystown Secondary School from North Eastern surprised everyone when they finished fourth in the under-16 football showpiece, a first from a school from the region.
Attention then shifted to across the border in Arusha, Tanzania for the 18th edition of the FEASSSA Games from August 18 to 24. Defending champions Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zanzibar and for the first time Malawi sent teams to the annual championship.
Burundi and South Sudan failed to send teams to this year’s games just like in 2018 in Musanze, Rwanda, where Kenya, Uganda and the hosts were the only countries to field teams.
Uganda, which has played second fiddle to Kenya in the last 17 editions, winning only one overall title, finally got their hands on the coveted prize after years of missing out. Coincidentally, their sole team triumph was back in 2014 when the games were held in the Tanzanian capital - Dare es Salaam.
Uganda won a total of 27 medals - 11 gold, nine silver and seven bronze - to pip Kenya, who also had the same number of total medals. However, the country’s 10 gold, 11 silver and six bronze were not enough to see them defend their crown this time.
Rwanda were placed third after bagging two gold, two silver and six bronze for a final tally of 10 medals. Hosts Tanzania wound up in fourth spot with a total of five medals as Zanzibar and newcomers Malawi finished in fifth and sixth place with no medals.
The last event of the school calendar was the Copa Coca Cola Under 16 Africa Cup that was held at the M-Pesa Foundation Academy in Thika from December 2 to 5. Kenya had won the boys’ and girls’ titles during last year’s inaugural competition in Nakuru. The boys’ team was drawn from St Atnhony’s Boy Kitale while the girls were from Moi Girls, Nangili.
It did not end well for Kenya, whose 2019 team was drawn from Serani Boys High School. The hosts relinquished their title finishing fourth after losing 2-1 to Zambia in the play-off. Neighbours Tanzania won the title after they outclassed Zimbabwe 6-2.
The girls’ competition did not feature this year.
