Term One Games: Dagoretti stun champions Dr. Aggrey, Kaya Tiwi off to winning start

Dr. Aggrey High School, who are eyeing back to back titles after reclaiming the national gong last year in Machakos, fell 95-71 to Dagoretti High in Pool ‘A’ opening match as the Nairobi champions underlined their title credentials.

The pool also has Pioneer School from Central and Western champions Friends School Kamusinga, who are making a return to the national stage after missing last year’s event.

Record national title winners Upper Hill are in Group B alongside North Eastern champions Wajir High School, perennial rivals Lukenya School from Eastern and Sawagongo High School from Nyanza.

Dr. Aggrey won the first quarter 18-14 but struggled in the subsequent quarters, losing 25-12, 21-17, and 35-24, which sealed their fate for Day One.

The school's principal, Robert Arani, remains optimistic, stating that he has full confidence his team will bounce back and right their wrongs in the coming matches.

“Last year, it was the same situation—we lost our first match, but we bounced back and defended our championship, so our opponents should be prepared for what's coming,” he said.

He also expressed optimism about the availability of his four key players, who were not cleared to play in the opening match.

“There were some issues with the documentation for my four reliable and crucial players, but I'm confident they'll be cleared for the next match. I promise our opponents will see a show of fireworks as we get closer to defending our championship.”

In another men’s basketball clash, Friends School Kamusinga dominated Pioneer, securing a comfortable 82-46 victory, sending a strong message to their rivals in the tournament.

In the girls’ category, former champions Kaya Tiwi were ruthless in their opening match, easily dispatching Eastern region champions Ikutha Girls 100-23 in the opening match.

Kaya Tiwi’s head coach, Ali Juma, was confident after the win, declaring that his team was fully committed to reclaiming their title they lost two years ago.

“We're confident in defending our championship title. Our strong start has set the tone, and it's clear we're on the brink of reaching the semifinals. However, our main focus is on the final and securing a spot in the East Africa School Games.”

In rugby 15s, defending champions All Saints of Eastern had a narrow 3-0 win over Serani Secondary from the Coast region.

Serani put up a tough fight, with their speed and skill giving All Saints a real challenge.

“We weren't fully prepared for this, but we're giving our all to regain our form and defend our championship,” lamented Bramwel Odida, the All Saints captain.

Former champions Upper Hill from Nairobi demonstrated their strength with a commanding 28-05 victory over Mang’u High School of Central.

The win sent a clear signal to All Saints, as the two teams are set to meet Wednesday in a crucial second fixture.

In handball, Nyanza’s Manyatta Boys recorded a solid 38-24 win over Eastern region champions Matiliku Boys in their opening match.

Defending champions Kimilili were on a flying start as they thrashed Jaribuni 36-19, while Kamito triumphed 23-14 over Makuyu.

In the girls' handball competition, Eastern’s Kyeni Girls had a big win against Hon DM Amin, winning 53-6 while Moi Girls Kamusinga also started strongly, securing a 30-12 victory over Dagoretti Mix of Nairobi.

In hockey, former champions St. Anthony’s edged out Nairobi’s Hospital Hill 3-1 in a thrilling encounter, while St. Charles Lwanga and Ringa Boys played out to a barren draw.

Defending national champions Musingu, who have won back to back titles, edged Matiliku Boys 1-0 while Central region representatives Mpesa Academy claimed a 1-0 win over Mnyenzeni of Coast.