Over 30 schools are expected to compete in the annual Moi Girls Open basketball tournament this weekend in Eldoret.
Moi Girls’ High School coach Dolphine Nelima said they will be seeking back-to-back victories.
They hope to capitalise on home advantage to win the two-day tournament. “As defending champions, our target is to defend our title,” she said.
She added the girls have made remarkable improvement and are determined to defend the title irrespective of the opposition.
“We have been training hard and we are hopeful we will once again emerge top,” she said.
Nelima said the tournament will act as a build-up for the Rift Valley Secondary Schools Sports Association (RVSSSA) Championships next weekend.
Moi Girls reached the semifinals of the regional event last where they lost to West Pokot’s Nasokol Girls.
“Combining education and sports can be tricky but I believe we have done enough and we are up to the challenge,” she noted.
The girls, she said will be all out to make amends and ensure they perform well in all competitions
“We want to redeem ourselves and revive our good old days when we were regulars on the national stage. The morale in the team is high and the girls are determined to scale the height,” she noted.
Meanwhile, Moi Girls football coach Robert Simiyu has revealed that they will use the event as a build-up for the secondary schools’ games.
His team will be chasing their third title in a row during the weekend's Open tournament.
He said playing at home will give the girls courage and confidence owing to the home fans.
“We are under pressure to defend our title but that will not deter us from dominating the event. Playing at home will give the girls the courage to deliver just as they did last year,” said Simiyu. Last year, the school reached the regional level in Nyahururu.
