Deborah Akoth of Oyugi Ogango Girls High School goes for the goal during the national final against St Joseph's Girls, Kitale/ANGWENYI GICHANA Kenyan teams
have vowed to end Uganda’s dominance in netball when the Federation of East
African Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSSA) gets underway in Kakamega on August 13.
Kenya’s bid
to end the netball jinx will be led by three-time Kenyan champions Oyugi Ogango High School. Others are debutants St Joseph’s, Kitale,
St Monica, Bukokholo, and returnees Kaya Tiwi.
A dominant Oyugi Ogango, coached by Cliffton Omondi, retained the title for the third consecutive year after humbling debutants St Joseph’s, Kitale 57-29 in the final played at Masinde Murilo University of Science and Technology (MMUST). Bukokholo finished third after edging former champions Kaya Tiwi 50-25 in the play-off.
All four teams are currently camping at MMUST to prepare for the FEASSA extravaganza. Last year, it was a clean sweep for Uganda as they took the top four positions, with Oyugi Ogango finishing a distant fifth.
St Mary’s Kitende
bagged the title with Kawanda finishing second, and St Noah was third.
Kawanda finished fourth during the 21st edition held in Mbale,
Uganda.
Oyugi Ogango
coach Cliffton Omondi has thrown the gauntlet ahead of the annual showpiece, which brings together teams from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi.
They will
bank on the scoring prowess of Deborah Akoth, who was named the Most Valuable
Player during nationals, to claim regional glory.
“At FEASSA,
we have been improving since we made our debut. Ugandan teams are tough, yes, but
this time, we want to give our best and make Kenyans proud by lifting the
title. Being hosts, we have an advantage over our rivals,” said a confident
Omondi.
St Joseph’s, Kitale coach Emily Mola said: “Oyugi Ogango are on another level, but we shall train hard to catch up with them. At FEASSA, we shall put our best foot forward. Being debutants, we are underdogs, but we shall fight for a semi-final slot.”
She added: “I have a young squad comprising mostly Form Two and Three students. They will gain good exposure and experience at FEASSA.”
Mary Walubengo, Bukokholo coach, said that despite Uganda being a powerhouse, they will head for the regional championships to compete, not participate. “Uganda has an advantage over us because they field Form Five and Six players who are more mature and experienced than our players,” she noted.
Kaya Tiwi
coach Joseph Makau said Uganda’s teams are superior because of strong
development structures.
“The Ugandans
start early at primary schools, while for us, we teach basics in high school.
Uganda is a step ahead of us. East Africa championships will be a learning curve
for us,” said Makau.
Kaya Tiwi
makes a return to FEASSA for the first time since 2019. Makau said they lost to
better teams at the national championships.
