Matiliku Boys High School has emerged as the Eastern Region Champions in Volleyball and Basketball in the just concluded Term II Ball Games, hosted at Makueni Boys High School, in Makueni County.
The boys gave a spirited fight in the volleyball finals, where they overturned a two-set deficit to trounce Kaundu Secondary School of Kitui 3-2 to claim Eastern Region title that has given them a position to participate in the National Ball Games scheduled for Thika Town in August this year.
Earlier on, Kaundu dominated the two-sets, winning the first, where Matiliku was able to get only 11 points, before edging the second set as Matiliku managed 21 points.
However, Matiliku responded in the emphatic fashion that ensured them to win the three sets where they restricted their opponents to get less than 15 points each, thus completing the tournament in a resounding win.
In Basketball, Matiliku defeated Kajiunduthi Boys High School, Tharaka Nithi County, 13-8 in a thrilling match to win a place to play in national games.
Addressing the media after the win, Matiliku Boys High School Principal Dr. Johnstone Ndivo expressed his joy and lauded the boys for playing well to represent the school and region in the national games.
“They started when they were down, however they improved and played well. So they won,” said Dr. Ndivo while speaking at the Makueni Boys High School, Makueni Sub county on Saturday.
“As the principal in Matiliku, I have taken volleyball team to national games twice, this one will be the third time. For Basketball, this is our very first time,” he added.
Dr. Ndivo, who is also the Makueni County Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KSSHA) Chairperson, said they were happy to have hosted and concluded the tournament without any major challenges.
The team’s coach Francis Kyenze attributed the impressive performance to tactical adjustments after carefully studying Kaundu’s style of play during the opening two sets.
“Our opponents won the first two sets, but we used that time to understand their game. We identified only two players who were causing us problems. Once we adjusted our strategy, we controlled the match and won the remaining three sets convincingly,” he said.
“We are not going to the nationals just to participate. We are going there to compete. Our target is to qualify for the East Africa Games, and we believe this is our year,” Kyenze declared confidently.
The coach also praised the players for their discipline and consistency throughout the tournament.
He also thanked the Matiliku school administration for their unwavering support, saying the team is now focused on making an impact at the national championships.
By Patrick Nyakundi
