The initial Kisii County venue for the upcoming KSSSA Term Two national championships has been changed to Kisumu City. The reason being that after a meeting held between KSSSA officials and the Ministry of Education on Wednesday, some concerns relating to the main venue—Gusii Stadium—were raised.
Reasons for the Relocation
The main reason for the withdrawal was the bad state of Gusii Stadium. The pitch was soggy and unplayable following heavy rains. The stadium had earlier hosted three regional championships matches, but due to the bad weather, a high-risk semi-final pitting Agoro Sare and Matutu PAG was shifted to Cardinal Otunga High School, Mosocho grounds. This match was abandoned in the 75th minute due to crowd trouble.
According to Kisii County KSSSA Secretary Geoffrey Nyantika, “One of the reasons which necessitated the move was the heavy rains which left the pitch flooded thus unplayable. The chaos witnessed during the Agoro Sare versus Matutu PAG game also contributed.”
New Venues in Kisumu
The meets are now set to take place at multiple venues in Kisumu: Moi Stadium, Kisumu National Polytechnic, Kisumu Day, Kasagam Secondary, and Kisumu School. The relocation was hailed as a move in good hands by the executive committee of the Nyanza Region Secondary Schools Sports Association. According to Secretary Tom Odhiambo, they were ready for the challenge.
Teams and Competitions
The championships feature a number of disciplines, including football, volleyball, netball, rugby Sevens, and racquet games. In the girl’s football, Nyanza region runners-up Nyakach Girls’ will join champions St Alfred’s Alara to cover for the Northern region that won’t be represented.
Rugby 7s champions St Mary’s School Yala will represent the region alongside Friends School Anjego, Kisii School, and Otieno Oyoo. In girls’ competition, Nyakach Girls, Nyagechenche, Sidindi, and Nyakongo feature. Other participating schools include Oyugi Ogango, who has a ticket to feature in netball, Onjiko and Sawagongo, taking part in 3×3 basketball, while Ngiya Girls and Nyakach Girls have also qualified to participate in 3×3 basketball. Nyabondo Boys have qualified to represent the region in volleyball, just like Nyakongo Girls.
Looking Ahead
Exuding confidence in the teams, Odhiambo said they were targeting success not just at the national level but also at the East Africa championships. “We should not just focus at nationals but we are also eyeing the East Africa championships. I have confidence in the teams we’ll take to the nationals,” he said.
The relocation is aimed at ensuring that the championships go off without a hitch for a fair and competitive environment for all concerned.