Reigning East Africa girls’ volleyball champions Kesogon Secondary School are eager to reclaim their national title at this year’s Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association National Term Two games that begin on Tuesday in Kakamega.
Stakes will be high for the 2023 winners, who must excel at the nationals to remain on course to defend their Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSSA) trophy.
There will be no room for mistakes, for a slight mishap could prove costly and force them to relinquish the East Africa crown without a fight.
Kesogon coach John Marani affirmed that their aim is to reclaim the national title and successfully defend the East Africa trophy.
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“We have been intensely training because we have goals to achieve. Our main objective is to win both the national and East Africa titles. The girls have been working very hard and are very committed,” Marani said.
He revealed that he had to build his side after the departure of key players Brigid Barasa and her twin sister Nancy Barasa and Patricia Chemtai, who were the core of his team since 2022.
The trio who finished Form Four last year joined league giants KCB Bank.
“We were prepared for the departure of Brigid, Nancy and Chemtai, but we were forced to build from scratch when two of our key players were poached by other schools. Our new players were willing to learn, they are coming up well, and I believe that they will deliver,” Marani added.
He underscored that they will not underrate any opponent because all teams are strong.
“We just have to be at our best because other teams are also prepared for the challenge. Apart from Bishop Sulumeti and Soweto Academy, who have seen play, we don’t know what to expect from others. We can’t also be confident that we understand the duo’s game because we met them in May, and a lot can change with time,” he concluded.
Kesogon is among the few schools that remained consistent since making their national debut in 2022. They have played in every national and East Africa final against rivals Kwanthanze Secondary School in the last three years. They lost to record titleholders Kwanthanze in 2022 and 2024 at the nationals and in 2022 and 2023 at the East Africa games. In the three years, they have bagged one national and one East Africa trophy.
They will launch their campaign in Group A, which also has Nairobi’s Soweto, who have been regular at the national games since 2016. Kinale Girls from Central and Coast’s Moi Forces Academy, which is positioning itself as a sports powerhouse, will also be battling for semi-finals slots in the pool.
Defending champions Kwanthanze are in Group B alongside national returnees Bishop Sulumeti, Nyakongo from Nyanza and newly crowned North Eastern champions Eldas Girls Secondary School.