BY MN Reporter
Asumbi Teachers College from Homabay County proved their mighty in this year’s Lake Region Teachers Training Colleges championships that was played at Cardinal Otunga high school grounds after clinching 11 out of 12 titles that were up for grabs.
Asumbi ensured they reaped maximum advantage over other teams, leaving Kamagambo Adventist from Migori County also to grasp the left over title in handball men while the rest of the 12 teams that participated in the tourney walked home empty handed second time in a raw.
The overall winners narrowly lost the handball men title to Kamagambo who fought it out in finals that ended 35-30 in favor of Kamagambo.
In volleyball, Asumbi team which is coached by Peter Ombaka had an easy walk to victory over their opponents with men beating Migori 3-0 sets of 25-15, 25-17, and 25, 13 while ladies engrossed Migori again 3-0 sets of 25-13, 25-17, 25-14.
In women soccer finals, the celebrant winners edged out Migori again by thrashing them 4-0 in an entertaining match which attracted thousands of spectators from the region to witness the queens who will represent the region in the nationals.
Mercey Wayondi who scored a brace gave their side the first goal in the 9th minute of play after getting a rebound from Migori keeper Irene Chepkorir after the ball spilled from her hands before Joice Oketch netting the second header in the 11th minute.
Partricia Adhiambo ensured she is not left out in the score board after her 18 meter shot went past the keeper when the ball hit the cross bar and bounced in the net before Mercy Wayondi again scoring her second goal and the fouth winning penalty kick in the 80th minute after Defender Sarah Mercy handled the ball in the penalty area.
The basketball finals both men and ladies duel between Migori TTC from Migori County and Asumbi brought into memory of 2014 fight between the two in the same tournament that saw Migori men advance to nationals but the second time in a row now the defending champions,showed their elegance with reprisal to slot in 79 baskets against 33 before ladies edging out Migori again by 87 against 27 baskets.
In hockey men won after securing 12 points before again beating their arch rivals Migori to clinch the ladies title after securing 16 points overall.
In netball, Asumbi narrowly won the men trophy winning by 15-14 in an entertaining final that was full of tension among the players.before also sending a gripping signal to other teams nationaly by whipping Migori 39-20 with Sharon Orada and Edward Okoth both from Asumbi named the valuable player for both men and women.
However, the championships never ended without a speck as controversy almost ruined the last days of the games.
Nyandiwa TTC went on strike, preventing other teams from participating in a game which they were to play but were disqualified after they were found guilty of fielding ineligible players.
The Homabay-based TTC was to play Nyanchwa in men’s soccer quarter finals but they were found to have violated the rules of the game.
After the disqualification, the players camped at the centerfield with stones, threatening to beat up any players who would show up for any match.
The college was banned from playing soccer in a similar tournament for one year, according to the Lake Region Secretary General Mr Enos Amenya.
An alternative pitch was used for the remaining matches as Asumbi TTC played the final football men at Kamagambo grounds beating Migori 3-0 after Nyanchwa and Nyandiwa were disqualified for fielding inellegible players.
In another game, Nyanchwa also found themselves in the same fix after their semifinal match in men soccer aborted following similar claims.
The chair person of the Lake Region ball games tournaments who also is the principal of Migori TTC Mrs.Mary Clair Indire said the wins were just a rehearsal for the national championships which will take place in Machakos Teachers College later this month.
Indire said that said all the teams that participated in the games had good teams but those who won deserved the victories.
“We are optimistic that the teams we have recruited for the national championships will represent us perfectly in the national tourney and that is why we always aspire for genuine players with proper discipline,”said Indire.
Asumbi is ranked position one overall with 67 points as Migori takes the second position with 53 points before Kamagambo takes the third position with 44 points as kenyenya and St.Pauls Nyabururu close the red line of top five best in the region with 28 and 23 points respectively With Angelic College coming in last with 1 point overall.
