All Saints, Embu 15s rugby team coach Benson Mwenda talks to his players ahead of Mombasa event /GICHANA ANGWENYI

Stiff competition is expected as the Brookside Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) Term One games kick off today in Mombasa.

The games will feature handball, rugby 15s, swimming, athletics, basketball 5x5, hockey and cross country.

Shimo La Tewa School, Tudor High and Shanzu Teachers’ Training College will hosts the games.

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Shanzu TTC will host handball, athletics and hockey while Shimo la Tewa will stage basketball and rugby 15s.

Swimming will be held at Aga Khan Academy. Girls are residing at Mama Ng’ina High School while boys are at Shimo la Tewa.

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The referees’ coordination clinic was held over the weekend at Shimo la Tewa with schools arriving on Sunday for the five-day show.

Top four teams in all categories will clinch slots to represent Kenya at the Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Games in Nakuru in August.

On Wednesday, the games received a significant boost after Brookside released a Sh30 million sponsorship.

Brookside’s corporate communications officer, Wilson Okong’o said Sh21.5 million will go directly to KSSSA for kitting all players, provision of trophies and certificates, with the balance being used to finance other logistics of the games, such as venue branding.

Cut-throat competition is expected in rugby 15s as champions All Saints Embu launch their bid to retain their title in Pool ‘A’ against Upper Hill, Serani Boys and Mang’u.

Nyanza’s Kisii School has been placed in a tough Pool B, which also features national Sevens’ champions Bwake, Vihiga and Marafa.

Kisii open their campaign against Vihiga today. All Saints coach Benson Mwenda said they are prepared and ready to defend their title. In boys’ basketball, defending champions Dr. Aggrey will face Pioneer School, Dagoretti and Friends School Kamusinga in Pool A. Rift Valley’s Laiser Hill headlines Pool B, which also features Lukenya, Sawagongo and Wajir High.

Girls defending champions Butere are in Pool B, which has been dubbed the group of death. Butere will be up against Rift Valley’s St. Joseph’s Kitale, Mpesa Academy and Nyanza’s Asumbi. Pool A will comprise Ikutha, former champions Kaya Tiwi, Olympic and Hon DM Amin. 

In boys’ hockey, Nyanza champions Ringa will face last year’s finalists St. Anthony’s Kitale, St. Charles Lwanga and Nairobi’s Hospital Hill in Pool A, while Pool B will have defending champions Musingu, Mpesa Academy, Matiliku and Mnyenzeni Secondary from Coast.

In the girls’ category, Rift Valley powerhouses St. Joseph’s, Kitale, will start their hunt for the title in Pool A against AIC Nyayo, St. Charles Lwanga and Mwiki Secondary. Defending champions Tigoi Girls will battle it out with newly crowned Nyanza champions Ng’iya Girls, St. John’s Kaloleni and Mpesa Academy in Pool B. Handball Boys; Pool A: Sabunley, Manyatta (Nyanza), Highway (Nairobi), Matiliku Boys (Eastern). Pool B: St. Luke’s Kimilili (Western), Makuyu (Central), Jaribuni (Coast), St. Albert Kamito (Rift Valley). Handball Girls* Pool A: Hon DM Amin, Moi Girls Kamusinga (Western), Kyeni Girls (Eastern), Dagoretti Mixed (Nairobi). Pool ‘B’ Thika Girls, Karibaribi (Central), Kadika (Nyanza), St. Joseph’s, Kitale (Rift Valley), Moi Forces Academy Mombasa (Coast).