St Anthony’s Kitale coach Kevin Lugalia is confident a winning start against familiar foes Mbarara High on Saturday will put the national hockey champions on course for a record seventh Federation of East Africa Schools Sports Association (FEASSA) title in Morogoro, Tanzania.
“Our target is to win our first game because it will put us at an advantage of advancing to the semi-finals,” said Lugalia. “Mbarara are familiar opponents in terms of the school, but they have different players. We shall just take one match at a time,” he added.
St Anthony’s are the most successful boys’ hockey side at FEASSA, having won six titles, although their last triumph came in 2018 in Musanze, Rwanda. The ‘Titans’ will bank on junior internationals Kevin Onyango, Peter Wachira and Lerry Lusweti as they seek to reclaim the regional crown after settling for silver at last year’s championships in Kakamega.
Lugalia, who last week guided Kenya’s Under-18 team to qualify for the inaugural FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup, is also determined to end the year on a high. “I want to end the year on a high by lifting the East Africa title,” he said.
St Anthony’s are in Pool B alongside Mbarara, Ntare High School and Tanzania’s Benjamin Mkapa. Kenya’s other representatives, Friends School Kamusinga, headline Pool A alongside defending champions Kakungulu Memorial, Tanzania’s Arusha Meru and Uganda’s Namilyango College.
Kamusinga, returning to the regional showpiece after a three-year absence, will open against Arusha Meru, while Kakungulu Memorial face Namilyango College in a Ugandan derby. Ntare take on Benjamin Mkapa.
In boys’ basketball, national champions Friends School Kamusinga and runners-up Lukenya Academy will also begin their title campaigns on Saturday. Kamusinga face Tanzania’s Juhudi, while Lukenya meet Uganda’s St Cyprian High. In girls’ basketball, Kaya Tiwi face ESP Kamonyi, while Butere Girls take on Orkeesa.
