KSSSA: Dr Aggrey, Butere Girls ready to rule basketball nationals

Mombasa County basketball giants Dr Aggrey High School will be keen to amass maximum points when they line up for the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) Term One national game, which will take place in Machakos.

The coastal basketball powerhouse will be looking to avenge their loss last year and claim the title. They failed to qualify for the national finals after narrowly losing 59-52 to Dagoretti High.

Despite that setback, they proceeded to the Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSSA) games in Rwanda, ending their campaign in third place.

Speaking ahead of their matches, the team’s tactician, Kevin Aran noted that his charges were ready for the challenge that lay ahead.

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They have been placed in Pool B, where they will compete against Agoro Sare from the Nyanza region, Pioneer High from the Nairobi Region, and Sigalame High from the Western Region.

“We won the regionals for the third time in a row and retained the trophy. We are hoping to win the national trophy again like in 2022,” he said.

Aran extended his gratitude to the team’s principal, Robert Aran, for his support towards the team, noting that they would make him proud. The team competes in the Mombasa County Basketball League, which helps them sharpen their skills further.

“I would like to thank the school principal, Robert Aran, for providing the much-needed support to the boys to ensure that they win the championships,” he offered.

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At the same time, 2023 KSSSA nationals’ winners Butere Girls will be hoping to go one step further when they tackle their opponents in the matches.

The fierce ladies have been placed in Group A, where they will face Buru Buru, Mpesa Academy, and Nyakach Girls.

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They will be keen to stage a repeat of the 2023 national finals where they defeated coastal giants Kaya Tiwi 51-41.

According to the team’s coach, Chris Odeke, they have been training well for the challenge.

"Our preparations have been focused and intensive. We have been working on refining our strategies and ensuring our players are in peak condition for the nationals," he said.

If their regional performance is anything to go by, the girls could be on the right track to excellence. They claimed the Western Region title by defeating Tigoi Girls 104–41.

For Coach Odeke, they will be banking on their familiarity with the game to propel them to greatness. The team competes in the Kenya Basketball Federation's (KBF) Division One League.

"Our big win at the regional finals has boosted morale and showcased our capabilities," Odeke remarked. "We are carrying this momentum forward into the nationals," he said.

"Our participation in the Division One League has toughened us up," Odeke explained. "The girls are accustomed to facing strong opponents, which prepares them well for challenging games at the school level," he continued.

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The coach further noted that he was anticipating an uphill task against their opponents but remained confident that his team would succeed.

"The group stage will be competitive, but we are ready for the challenge," Odeke affirmed. "Our focus is on taking one game at a time and executing our game plan effectively. Our goal is to bring home the East Africa title. We have the height, skills, and determination to go all the way if we reach the national finals," he concluded.

Basketball Boys Pools:

Pool A: Lukenya School, Dagoretti High, Laiser Hill Academy, Sabunley High

Pool B: Agoro Sare, Pioneer High, Sigalame High, Dr. Aggrey

Basketball Girls Pools:

Group A: Mpesa Academy, Buruburu Girls, Butere Girls, Nyakach Girls

Group B: Nsokol Girls, Kaya Tiwi, North Eastern, Ikutha Girls

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