Holders KU begin KUSF basketball title defence with win over Maseno

KU beat Maseno 19-13 to boost their chances of reaching the semi-finals.

KU captain Brian Mutua said the defending champions are under no pressure as they pursue back-to-back titles.

“As defending champions, it will be a tough task but we are ready to defend our title. We have no pressure to retain it,” said Mutua after their victory over Maseno.

He added that their status as champions gives them a psychological edge over opponents.

“We have nothing to lose. We aim to put our opponents under pressure, not ourselves, since we have the upper hand,” he added.

Other men’s results, Murang’a University of Technology (MUT) edged Technical University of Mombasa 19-12, while Mount Kenya University (MKU) beat Strathmore University 18-13.

MUT narrowly defeated MKU 12-10 while University of Nairobi silenced Maseno 21-14 before beating University of Eldoret (UoE) 21-16

Despite losing all their opening fixtures, Chuka University women’s captain Celine Kinyor remained optimistic about their chances of bouncing back and qualifying for the East Africa University Games.

“KUSF is doing a good job exposing our talents, especially in 3x3 basketball. This is the best way to showcase our hard work and relentless spirit. Even if we lose, we are here to compete,” said Kinyor.

She also emphasized the importance of balancing academics and sports.

“Mixing sports and classwork helps us maintain balance because we are all here to learn. The school usually writes letters so that we do not miss examinations,” she added.

Former champions Strathmore beat Egerton University 13-09 as MKU defeated Chuka 11-09, Chuka lost to Kisii University in sudden death after an 11-all draw in regulation time, as hosts Kabarak University fell 03-11 to Meru University of Science and Technology, UoN, and United States International University Africa (USIU-A) beat the hosts 21-06

The Kabarak extravaganza features 15 indoor disciplines — including badminton, table tennis, darts, scrabble, taekwondo, karate and chess — alongside five outdoor sports: woodball, baseball, rugby sevens, rollball and 3x3 basketball.