Paul Odock the coach of Nyanza Region boys’ basketball champions Agoro Sare, has called on the Ministry of Education not to cancel Term One Secondary Schools Games which were suspended last month following the first case of Covid-19 in Kenya.
The games, which had reached the county level, were indefinitely suspended.
In an earlier statement, the Cabinet Secretary for Health Mutahi Kagwe suspended all public gatherings, meetings and events.
He also suspended all interschool events among them athletics, basketball, handball, hockey, rugby, drama and music festivals.
However, arrangements for the games had been finalised at the county level and participants from various schools that had qualified had started making arrangements on how to battle for top honours.
Agoro Sare, who are Nyanza Region basketball defending champions, had qualified from Homa Bay County and were grouped together with Kisii County champions Nyanchwa High School, tough Maseno High School from Kisumu and Migori Boys.
Agoro Sare also qualified for the regionals in handball and rugby 7s.
The games were slated for March 24 to 28 at Rapogi High School in Migori County.
“If the championship will be cancelled, players who depend on these games for support such as scholarships will be affected, mostly those in Form Four” said the tactician.
He noted that he had organised for personal indoor training with his players and remained optimistic that the games will resume.
“I hope the championship will resume after this pandemic but if it fails we will go back and reorganise ourselves for next year. Our target is to be the best in Nyanza and nationally,” said the veteran coach.
However, Kepha Mogire the coach of three times Kisii County basketball champions Nyanchwa’ said the regional finals should be cancelled because the school calendar had already been affected.
“I don’t think that the games will resume since the school calendar has been affected and candidates need more time to prepare for their exams” he said.
He however regretted that, if the games will be cancelled most teams would be seriously affected since a majority of players were in Form four and would not get another opportunity to play for their respective schools at that level.
