This week, Nakuru County hosts the National Secondary Schools Term Two Games, principally at Nakuru Boys High School. This will be the first time in two years for the championships to be held after a coronavirus-enforced hiatus. Last weekend, regions held their championships to pick their representatives.
Sport is an essential ingredient in building a wholesome student and the importance of these inter-schools competitions, along with other co-curricular activities, cannot be gainsaid. Besides, it’s at these competitions that national sporting stars are identified and nurtured into world-beaters.
It’s unfortunate, however, to learn that some unscrupulous school principals are employing unfair means to win the contests. These include hiring over-age non-students to represent their schools. Cases of such ‘mercenaries’ have been reported in Nairobi with the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) expected to announce punitive action shortly.
Severe action should be taken against such dishonest students, principals and coaches—like suspending the culpable schools from competition for a specified period. It’s such chicanery that sets a bad example to the learners, who are subsequently deceived that they can achieve their goals in such ways. KSSSA and the officials handling the games must vet competing schools and students to weed out this vice.
With cases of doping cheats using banned performance-enhancing substance to gain athletic advantage on the rise in Kenya, our young sportsmen and women must, from a tender age, learn that cheating has nasty consequences.
Principals and head teachers must also ensure that their students travel to Nakuru in good time and that the drivers ferrying them to these games observe road discipline while ascertaining that vehicles used for this assignment are roadworthy.