The annual Allan Bradley Memorial Tournament will be held tomorrow and Sunday at Friends School Kamusinga (FSK).
The event, which is staged every year in memory of the school's founder Allan Bradley, will see participants battle it out in seven sports disciplines.
The event, dubbed battle of the powerhouses, will bring together the best of the country’s sporting schools. Six East Africa schools champions as well as silver and bronze medallists will take part in various events as they prepare for the 2017 schools challenge.
Hosts FSK will be seeking to defend their boys’ hockey title as they hope for another successful year. They had a remarkable 2016 reclaiming both the national and East Africa titles and crowned it all with the Safaricom Sports Personality of the Year (Soya) Boys' School of the Year award.
FSK hockey coach Emmanuel Sanya told Feverpitch that the event gives him an opportunity to gauge his players. “This is how we start every year and depending on how we fair we are able to improve our game because the standards in this competition are high based on the teams that participate,” Sanya said.
FSK will be up against bitter rivals and 2015 regional winners St Anthony’s Kitale, Kisumu Day, debutants Dr Ribeiro Parklands High and Kamusinga Warriors comprising the school’s old boys. Star-studded Warriors will have internationals Maxwell Fuchaka, Frank Wanangwe, Kenneth Nyongesa, Emmanuel Simiyu, Constant Wakhura and Derrick Kuloba all who have played for the national team among others.
In the girls contest four-time East Africa queens Sinyolo Girls will test their strengths against silver medallists Tigoi, tournament defending champions St Cecilia Misikhu, 2015 national champions Transnzioa Mixed and St Joseph’s Kitale.
In basketball, Kapenguria will battle homeboys FSK, Mundika and Sigalame of Busia as well as Kisumu Boys.
East Africa boys rugby 15s champions Kakamega arch-rivals St Peters Mumias will all the eying the scalp of holders St Joseph’s in the rugby battle.
There will be no love lost in football as St Anthony’s, Kakamega, Kapenguria and Friends School Bukembe renew rivalry as they battle for bragging rights. This event will rekindle the memories of last year’s Nzoia Region games that saw underdogs Bukembe humble big boys to be crowned champions.
St Anthony’s will be out to defend the title as well as exert revenge on Bukembe who locked them out of last year’s nationals. After reverting to the old provinces this will be their only competitive encounter as they can only meet at the nationals. St Anthony’s and Kapenguria are now in Rift Valley while Kakamega and Bukembe are in Western Province.
