-
Nasokol Girls Secondary School will now represent West Pokot County at the forthcoming KSSSA Rift Valley regional football championships in Narok after the county jury ruled in their favour following an appeal over the county finals.
-
This after the jury upheld school’s qualification, confirming the defending champions as West Pokot’s representatives at the regional championships.
Defending champions Nasokol Girls Secondary School will now represent West Pokot County at the forthcoming Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) Rift Valley regional football championships in Narok after the county jury ruled in their favour following an appeal over the county finals.
The decision brings to an end a closely contested dispute that followed one of the most competitive girls’ football finals witnessed in the county in recent years. The match, played at Kaptabuk in Pokot South Sub-county, pitted Nasokol Girls against Annet Mixed Secondary School.
Following the final, both schools lodged appeals citing alleged irregularities during the match, leaving the fate of the county’s regional representative hanging in the balance as both teams awaited the jury’s verdict.
After reviewing the appeals, the jury upheld Nasokol Girls’ qualification, confirming the defending champions as West Pokot’s representatives at the regional championships.
The ruling has boosted the confidence of the Nasokol side, which has vowed to defend the county’s honour at the regional competition.
ALSO READ:
Beyond the Stage: Why Kenya Music Festival matters more than we think
Despite the disappointment, Annet Mixed Secondary School accepted the verdict and congratulated their opponents, demonstrating sportsmanship.
“We respect the jury’s decision and appreciate our fans for their great support. We promise to come back next year better prepared to challenge for the title. We also wish Nasokol Girls all the best during the regional competitions,” said Joel Atuti of Annet Mixed Secondary School.
The appeals in the girls’ football category mirror similar disputes reported in other disciplines during the ongoing primary and secondary school games, with several teams challenging results over allegations of fielding ineligible players and breaches of competition regulations.
ALSO READ:
KU seeks parliament’s aid to recover encroached land, restore control of KUTRRH
Sports stakeholders have expressed concern that such incidents undermine the objectives of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) curriculum, which seeks to nurture and develop learners’ talents through fair competition.
Education and sports officials have been urged to strictly enforce KSSSA rules and regulations to safeguard the integrity of school competitions and ensure that only eligible learners participate.
The recurring disputes have also renewed calls for coaches, technical benches and school administrations to take greater responsibility in complying with competition rules and maintaining discipline during school sports.
By Martin Ruto
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
>>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories
>>> Click here to read more informed opinions on the country’s education landscape
