Nandi County Tops Rift Valley Primary School Athletics Championship
Brenda Chebet, representing Baringo County, and Brian Kipruto, representing Nandi County, were declared the primary school athletics champions in the Rift Valley region. The games, which took place over three days at the William Ole Ntimama stadium in Narok, saw 1,200 pupils from 14 counties participate in various disciplines.
In the boys’ category, Nandi County scored 97 points, followed by Narok County with 95 points, and Elgeyo Marakwet County with 94 points. In the girls’ category, Nandi County scored 121 points, followed by Trans Nzoia County with 94 points and Baringo County with 89 points.
Nandi County emerged as the overall winner, scoring 222 points, while Trans Nzoia and Elgeyo Marakwet counties came in second and third with 194 and 154 points, respectively.
The Rift Valley Region Primary School Athletics Chairman, Peter Sang, expressed satisfaction with the participants’ high level of discipline and sportsmanship during the competitions. However, he lamented the lack of funding from the Ministry of Education, which forced school principals to cover the costs of their individual participants.
The games had not been held since the onset of Covid-19, and it was a good comeback as all the counties were represented. Sang challenged those who did not win to continue practicing and strive to perform better in future competitions.
The games featured various disciplines, including long jump, 100-metre sprint, 4 by 4 sprint, 200-metre sprint, 800 metres, 1,800 metres, 110 sprint hurdles, mixed race sprints, and the steeplechase. The National games are scheduled to take place in the same venue from Monday, April 24th, 2023.
Despite the limited funding, the primary school athletes showcased their abilities and demonstrated the importance of sports in nurturing talent and instilling discipline. The success of the games highlighted the need for more funding and support from the government and other stakeholders to promote sports and talent development among young people in the country.
The participants’ commitment, hard work, and sportsmanship serve as an inspiration to other young people to pursue their passions and strive for excellence in their chosen fields.
Nandi County Tops Rift Valley Primary School Athletics Championship