The Nyanza Slam Jam basketball tournament to be staged in Kisumu will feature 26 schools from the six counties in the Nyanza region.
The tournament, sponsored by ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo, is scheduled for March 2-3 and will bring together 13 boys and 13 girls schools in the region.
ICT CS will preside over the opening and closing ceremony of the event at Maseno School and Kenyatta Sports Grounds respectively.
The tourney is poised to provide avenues for health, education, social being, active health lifestyle, life skills, innovation and technology, scholarships and climate and environmental management.
Tournament’s Organising Committee chairman Ronnie Owino said the top two schools—boys and girls—from last year’s schools’ tournament in every county will feature in the event.
Owino, who coaches Strathmore University, said Kisumu Girls and Kisumu Boys who will play host to the event are among the participants.
The tournament will be played at Kenyatta Sports Ground, Maseno School, Kisumu Boys and Kisumu Girls.
Agoro Sare, Ototo (boys and girls) and Asumbi Girls will represent Homa Bay county while Manga Girls, Sironga Girls, Nyansiongo Boys and Ekenyoro Tech Boys will fly the Nyamira county’s flag. In Kisii County, Nyanchwa Boys, Kisii High, Sengera Girls and Kereri Girls will participate.
Other schools are Migori Boys, Kanyawanga Boys, Tuk Jowi Girls, Kwa Sec Girls (Migori County) and Sawagogo High, Usenge High, Barchando and Ngiya Girl (Siaya County).
Kisumu’s schools which include Maseno School, Onjiko High, Kisumu Boys, Nyakach Girls, Sinyolo Girls and Kisumu Girls will represent the county.
Owino said the schools were picked based on their performance in the last Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) tournament in their respective counties.
“There will be talent identification to get scholarships from various universities. All participating schools and many others have been invited,” he said.
University scouting and school coaches are expected during the tournament.
“The tournament's objective is to nurture talent in high schools to enable successful players to get scholarships in universities,” Owino said.
On Saturday, he said the First Coach conducted a successful free clinic for the coaches at Kenyatta Sports grounds in Kisumu.
The organization boasts some of the country’s top instructors. Owalo has urged basketball enthusiasts to come out in large numbers to watch and witness the youngsters exhibit their talents.
The foundation, he said, targets to unlock the untapped potential within Kenyan youth, empowering them to nurture their sporting talents and develop careers in sports.
The foundation has a long history of supporting sports teams and contributing to the development of football in Kenya.
