Hosts Kenya produced an impressive performance in day one at the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) Zone Five Youth Games that kicked off today at the Kenyatta University grounds.
With few nations facing off in the 3×3 basketball for both boys and girls, Kenya remained steadfast in the round robin show.
As the hosts Kenya was privileged to present two teams to face off with South Sudan and Ethiopia
In the girls’ section, Kenya 2 recorded three wins, 19-10 win over Kenya 1 before seeing off Ethiopia 19-2 and finishing the day with a 17-9 victory over South Sudan.
Kenya 2 coach Eunice Ouma was impressed with her charges’ display but warned against complacency, highlighting areas they need to improve to be crowned champions.
“I am excited with the victory because the girls followed the instructions and it worked against a very good team. We need to work on our shooting, defence and also endurance. The girls have been in several competitions and fatigue has crept in, but I am happy with their display,” Ouma said.
“We hope that the boys will also win so that we have double victory in Kenya,” she added.
Kenya 1 also enjoyed a good outing, beating Ethiopia 21-2 and 19-2 to keep their title hopes alive.
Round 2 will be played on Wednesday and Round 3 on Thursday, with the teams accumulating the most points being crowned champions.
In the boys’ category, Kenya 1 also recorded two victories, beating South Sudan 12-8 and Kenya 21-10.
In beach volleyball, Kenya’s second team announced their intentions of clinching the girls’ title with an impressive 2-1 (21-16, 22-24, 15-13) victory over South Sudan.
The Kenyan pair, comprising St Cecilia Aluor Girls Secondary School duo Josephine Achieng and Esther Chesori, dominated the opening set, winning 21-16 in 18 minutes.
However, the South Sudanese pair of Winnie Adior and Diana Lolik fought back strongly in the second set, edging the Kenyans 24-22 to level the match and force a decisive third set.
The tie-break was an end-to-end affair, with both pairs trading points and exchanging leads in a closely fought contest. The home duo, however, held their nerve in the crucial moments to secure a vital opening victory in the 58-minute contest.
Chesori said they had to dig deep to get the win and praised her partner for her contribution throughout the match.
“We are so proud and happy to claim the victory. Our service worked so well today, and our recovery was brilliant. We are more confident going into the other matches,” Chesori said.
Achieng believes their understanding and chemistry were crucial to their victory.
“We have played together for one year, and I believe we are going to get better as a partnership,” she added.
They will face a tough contest when they come up against Kenya’s top side.
However, Kenya 2 lost 2-1 to Uganda (17-21, 22-24, 15-11) in the boys’ event.
In lawn tennis, Kenyan players also impressed on the opening day, with Mark Murage leading the home assault and advancing to the third round in the boys’ section.
He began his campaign with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Tanzania’s Damiano Hamis Rungu before cruising past Somalia’s Abdallah Mohammed 6-0, 6-0 in the second round.
Kenya’s Don Kellu also advanced to the third round after seeing off Asad Ibrahim Ibrahim 6-2, 6-0 in the second round.
“I beat excellent players today, and I am glad I am through to the third round. I was a bit nervous in the first match, but I grew into it, and I am confident I can go all the way. There is room for improvement, and I know I can win the title,” Murage said.
In the girls’ matches, Nancy Kawira is the sole Kenyan to advance to the fourth round after impressive victories in her opening three matches