A total of 241 football and volleyball teams (men and women) were yesterday issued with balls and sporting gear, courtesy of the Department of Youth, Sports and Social Services.
The ceremony which was held at Town Hall grounds and president by Governor Dr Mutahi Kahiga also saw the awarding of certificates to eight referees who had completed training in diverse categories.
The event was a culmination of the month-long Governors Cup sporting tournament that ended on June 14.
At least 3,900 men and women drawn from the eight sub counties took part in the tournament in both football and volleyball categories.
There were 152 volleyball and 115 football teams in total with the top team from each category receiving a trophy and cash.
Dr Kahiga stressed the need for the sportswomen and sportsmen in the county to continue nurturing their individual talent as one way of promoting outdoor competition in the area.
He assured the team of the government’s willingness to continue supporting the growth of sports in the county in the coming days and commended everyone who had taken part in the month-long competitions.
“This year’s Governor’s Cup saw 152 volleyball and 314 football teams – over 3,900 players – register for this year’s competition, drawn from all 30 wards. These numbers reflect not only the popularity of sport, but also its power to bring people together, nurture talent and inspire our youth.
I sincerely thank every player, coach, official, volunteer and supporter who made this tournament a success. Whether you win or not, your commitment, teamwork and sportsmanship are what truly matter.” said Dr Kahiga.
The County boss also highlighted the need to train referees at the local level stating that such a move will ensure every county gets to play a part in the overall success of sports in the country.
The County has already sponsored a total of 127 referees in both football and volleyball category to be employed in officiating local tournaments.
“As we prepare for next year’s edition, we are determined to raise the bar even higher. One of our immediate priorities will be training and certifying our own referees through partnerships with the National Referees Committee and other like-minded institutions. Developing skilled officials is just as important as nurturing talented players and coaches” he added.
The players were also urged to uphold discipline and integrity both in and out of pitch with Dr Kahiga citing this as the driver of true sportsmanship.
He noted that while personal acumen and quality training play a vital role in the success of any team, it is an individual player’s discipline that rules supreme anywhere in the world.
“No player will get very far without discipline. And this includes discipline on how we adorn our official sporting attire. These uniforms should only be worn when required; either during training or while playing. I therefore urge everyone in our sporting fraternity to uphold discipline at all times. Talent opens doors, but discipline sustains success. By embracing professionalism, respect and hard work, we can continue building a sporting culture that makes Nyeri proud,” he told the players.
Gender, Youth, Sports and Social Services CECM Esther Ndung’u had earlier on told KNA the ultimate goal was to expose the sportsmen and sportswomen in the county to sporting bodies such as the Federation of Kenya Federation where they can get an opportunity to showcase their talents in national leagues.
She explained that there were many organized sporting teams at the grassroots which, if nurtured , would eventually join the ranks of professional teams at the national level.
“One of our objectives as a department is to go down to the village level and identify sport teams that possess unique sporting talents but are unable to progress beyond their locality due to lack of resources. They may have great talents but unless they are tapped, they will remain unprofitable to them and even the community. Ultimately, we want these sportsmen and sportswomen to be affiliated with recognized national bodies like the Federation of Kenya Federation.” she stated.
June 14 marked the grand finale for the Governor’s Cup at the Moi Nyeri Complex Primary School with winning teams and their runner-up pocketing cash prizes totaling to Sh.1.54 million.
A total of 32 teams from the eight sub counties had lined up to battle it out for the ultimate prize in both soccer and volleyball category in the sporting piece which kicked off on May 17.
When the curtains finally came down for the games, Kieni East triumphed in both men and women soccer category after Ichuga FC and Naromoru Starlets each clinched the top prize of Sh 200,000 respectively.
In men’s volleyball, Loistan VC from Nyeri Township took the top prize of Sh 120,000 after thrashing Mweiga FC from Kieni West.
And in the women category, Nyeri Town VC took the top prize after elbowing out Mweiga VC in the thrilling finals held at the Moi Nyeri Complex Primary School.
In football, the runners-up team received Sh 130,000, third place Sh 100,000 and the fourth placed walked home with Sh.50,000.
In the volleyball category, second place got Sh 80,000, third placed Sh 60,000, and the fourth placed team took Sh 30,000.
While presenting the awards, Kahiga congratulated all the teams who took part in the competition and urged them to keep up the sporting spirit.
“The curtain has officially fallen on the highly successful Nyeri County Governor’s Cup Tournament 2026, culminating in a vibrant awarding ceremony. We also celebrated the outstanding achievements of teams, players, coaches, and organizers from across the county,” he said.
By Samuel Maina and Wangari Mwangi
