School Games: Kaya Tiwi aims for the KSSSA National Girls’ Basketball Title

Kaya Tiwi’s head coach, Philip Onyango, is determined to reclaim the 5×5 basketball title at the upcoming Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) National Term One Games, scheduled for April 7-12 at Shanzu TTC in Mombasa.

The team from the Coastal region has been without a national title for two years, having last won in 2022 against Olympic with a score of 60-54. However, Onyango believes his team is ready to dominate once more.

The experienced coach has issued a warning to his competitors, stating that he has never lost three finals in a row and has put together a formidable team prepared for a tough competition.

“In my coaching career, I have never lost three finals consecutively. I am confident we will reclaim our title. We just fell short last season in the semifinals, and some decisions didn’t go our way, but this year we are fully committed to winning,” Onyango told the media.

The former champions have only lost one player, point guard Hildah Nyokabi, who is now with Strathmore University after graduating last year.

“We have a strong team ready to compete for the title. I have promoted seven players from netball, and I believe their agility will enhance our performance. Netball players have always been among my top performers,” Onyango added.

Onyango also hopes that the weather will work in their favor this time.

“We have struggled with the weather over the past two years in Eldoret and Machakos due to the rain. My girls found it challenging to adjust to the cold. This time, we hope the weather will be on our side since we are playing on familiar ground,” he said.

After being eliminated in the semifinals last year, Onyango is looking for revenge this season to take the title from Butere Girls.

Kaya Tiwi is in Pool A, competing against Eastern champions Ikutha Girls, Nairobi’s Olympic Secondary, and representatives from North Eastern.

The reigning champions, Butere, are in Group A alongside Central region’s M-pesa Academy, Rift Valley’s St. Joseph’s Kitale, and Nyanza’s Asumbi Girls.