Kenyan athletes dominated track events on day one of Brookside East Africa Secondary school games in Gulu, Uganda.
As the athletics day started, Kenyan athletes won three gold medals. Dolphin Omare, Jackson Muema and Josephat Leyino won gold medals in their races at Peace stadium.
Coming from Omare won 5,000m girls title beating a host of other runners to clinch the title.
Omare run a tactical race to win the 5,000m race, timing 16:49.6 after beating her peers in the girls 5000m race. Aciro Knight of Uganda took silver in 17:.22.5, while Lucy Mokire of Kenya came in 24 seconds later to complete the podium.
Muema had earlier led a Kenyan 1-2 sweep in the boys’ 10,000m. Muema, a Form Two student at Kivandini Secondary School, timed 29 minutes 50.3 seconds to win a 10,000m race that had only four runners. Kevin Kibiwot secured silver after he finished 0.6 seconds later. Uganda’s Caiphas Kipyako settled for bronze in 30:42.1 to the delight of the home fans that gathered to follow the action.
Muema, who finished second nationally, is hoping his maiden win on his debut at the regional games will inspire him to greater success.
Nakeel School’s Leyino won the third title in the boys’ high jump competition as Kenya underlined its dominance in track and field events.
Leyino was in good form in the high jump with an impressive 1.94m ahead of South Sudan’s Stephen Yual (1.94m) and Kenya’s Wilson Lentunyei (1.85).
Kenya will look to bag more medals on the last day of the athletics program on Friday.
In girls’ volleyball, Kenya and Rwanda are guaranteed of a place in the final.
In Friday’s semis, former champions Kwanthanze tackle compatriots Cheptil in a repeat of last month’s nationals as 2015 G.S Indagaburezi play fellow Rwandese side St Aloys in the other last four encounter.
Kwanthanze, back in the games after a one-year absence, beat Indagaburezi 3-0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-13) in their last group match on Thursday.
In the boys’ contest, champions Malava and Sengera SDA from Kenya failed to make the semis leaving two-time winners Cheptil as the only home side left in the competition.