KBC Channel 1

Author: Bernard Okumu

  • Golf: NCBA series heads to Nyali for the 11th leg

    Golf: NCBA series heads to Nyali for the 11th leg

     

     

    The eleventh leg of the ongoing NCBA Golf series is set to be held this weekend at the par 72 Nyali Golf and Country Club, Mombasa.

    The over  180 golfers are set to compete  for a chance to play in the tournament’s grand by participating in overall gross, men’s category winner, men’s runner up, ladies’ winner, ladies’ runner up and juniors’ categories.

    Also up for grabs at the tournament will be car for the hole-in-one challenge at the 18th hole.

    Speaking ahead of the tournament, NCBA Group Managing Director, John Gachora, said;

    “We are delighted to be heading back to the coastal region as we take the eleventh leg of the NCBA Golf Series to Nyali Golf & Country Club. This is yet another opportunity for us to present golfers in the region a chance to play in the series. We are therefore excited for this tournament and it is our hope that we shall witness remarkable golf action and that golfers will have a great time playing at the tournament,” said Gachora.

    The Nyali event follows the tenth leg held last weekend at Muthiaga Golf Club that attracted an impressive 250 golfers in a highly competitive event.  Evans Vitisia claimed the Overall Gross Winner title with a remarkable score of 73 gross.

    In the Men’s Gross category, handicap 2 golfer Kavit Bhakoo secured the top spot with 74 gross, beating Ben Murimi, playing off handicap 6, on countback.

    Among the ladies, Nancy Ndungu, playing off handicap 7, emerged as the winner on countback with a score of 87 gross. Rachna Patel, playing off handicap 14, secured the second position with the same score.

    At the same time, the Juniors category saw Junaid Manji as the winner with a score of 79 gross.

    The six golfers became the latest addition to the growing list of players who have so far qualified to play at the tournament’s Grand Finale which is set to be hosted at Sigona Golf Club in December.

    The Nyali Golf and Country Club is one of the only two 18-hole courses on the north Coast, the other one being Vipingo Ridge. Nyali is one of the most challenging courses due to the windy conditions at the coast.

     

     

     

  • Caroline Anyango finishes fourth in girls Javelin as 800m,4x400m mixed relay teams seal final slots

    Caroline Anyango finishes fourth in girls Javelin as 800m,4x400m mixed relay teams seal final slots

     

    Caroline Anyango registered a personal best after throwing 45.45m to finish fourth at the ongoing Youth Commonwealth Games in Trinidad and Tobago.

    The Africa U18 bronze winner improves her record from 42 which she achieved during the Africa Championship in Zambia earlier this year.

    Meanwhile the 4×400 mixed relay team composed of Josephat Sang,  Nancy Cherop, Janet Chepkoech and Kelvin Kimutai secured their final slot after posting impressive times at the Club Youth Games.

    In the 800m heats Kenya’s Janet Chepkoech and Daisy Chepngetich made it to the finals as  captain Amos Kipkemoi missed out due to a hamstring. In the second heat however,Kelvin Kinutai qualified for the final after finishing first in his heat.The final is scheduled tonight.

     

     Abigael Chebet Chesebe and Sharon Jepkogei Arusei  during the Beach Volleyball Women’s Semi Final Getty Images for Commonwealth Sport)

    In the quarter finals of the ladies beach volleyball Abigail and Sharon lost their first game 0-2 against Canada and are now set to face Newzealand in the fight for the Bronze medal position.

     

  • England forward  Lauren James given two-game Women’s World Cup ban after red card

    England forward  Lauren James given two-game Women’s World Cup ban after red card

     

    England forward Lauren James has been given a two-match ban by Fifa for her red card in the Women’s World Cup game with Nigeria.

    James, 21, was sent off for stamping on the back of Michelle Alozie in the last 16-tie, which England won on penalties.

    The dismissal came with an automatic one-game ban which Fifa has increased, meaning she will miss the semi-final if England get there.

    The Lionesses face Colombia in the quarter-finals on Saturday.

    James is England’s top scorer in the tournament, having scored three goals, as well as assisting three more, in the group stages.

    The Chelsea forward apologised to Alozie on social media after the incident and promised to learn from her mistake.

    After the game, England boss Sarina Wiegman said: “She is inexperienced on this stage and in a split-second lost her emotions. It isn’t something she did on purpose. She apologised and felt really bad.

    “She would never want to hurt someone. She is the sweetest person I know.”

    If the Lionesses are knocked out of the World Cup on Saturday, James’ ban will carry over to England’s next international fixture.

     

     

     

     

     

  • England beat Nigeria to advance to the Quarters

    England beat Nigeria to advance to the Quarters

    England scraped through to the quarter-finals of the Women’s World Cup with a dramatic penalty shootout  4-2 victory over Nigeria despite Lauren James’ red card.

    Georgia Stanway fired wide with the opening penalty but Nigeria missed their next two efforts and the European champions secured their spot in the last eight when Chloe Kelly smashed in the winning kick.

    In an outburst of frustration, James stamped on Michelle Alozie’s back in the 87th minute after losing possession and was rightly shown a red card following a video assistant referee (VAR) review.

    England were given an almighty scare but face Colombia or Jamaica in the semi final on Saturday.

    The ouster of Nigeria means that Morocco is the only team from Afroca remaining in the tournament after South Africa was earlier eliminated in the round of 16.

    Morocco faces France on Tuesday.

  • Soccer Assassins relish their chances in premier league after promotion

    Soccer Assassins relish their chances in premier league after promotion

    Soccer Assasins were crowned overall winners of the Football Kenya Federation Division One women’s league after defeating Kibera Soccer Ladies 4-1 at Rift Valley Institute of Technology grounds,Nakuru.

    The two teams were pitted against each other in the final after emerging champions of Zone A and Zone B.

    Bungoma Queens outwitted Uweza in a promotion play off thus earning a place in next seasons FKF Women’s Premier League.

    Soccer Assassin which is a school team for Madira Girls School came from behind to beat Kibera who had gone ahaed through Maximila Robi after 18 minutes.

    Soccer Assassins pulled level shortly through Charity Midema who had earlier missed a penalty.

    Valerie Nekesa widened the lead for the students scoring a third after 31 minutes.

    Nekesa was on the mark again for her second of the game sealing victory for Assasins who now become the first school team to earn promotion to top tier football in the country.

    Soccer Assasins celebrate their triumph

    Meanwhile Bungoma Queens earned promotion to the Football Kenya Federation Women’s premier league after trouncing Uweza Women 6-5 via penalty kicks.

    The two sides tied 1-1 in regular time forcing the match to be decided through spot kicks.

    Uweza Women had finished second in Zone A while Bungoma Queens were first runners up in Zone B,thus setting up promotion play off.

    Soccer Assasins,Kibera Soccer Ladies and  Bungoma Queens will now feature in the 2023/24 Womens Premier League.

  • Evans Vitisia Wins Tenth Leg of NCBA Golf Series at Muthaiga

    Evans Vitisia Wins Tenth Leg of NCBA Golf Series at Muthaiga

    Evans Vitisia beat a field of over 250 to claim the 10th leg of NCBA golf series held at Muthaiga Golf Club Nairobi.

    Vitisia emerged as the Overall Gross Winner after returning a score of 73 gross.

    In the Men’s Gross category, handicap 2 golfer Kavit Bhakoo secured the top spot with 74 gross, beating Ben Murimi, playing off handicap 6, on countback.

    Nancy Ndungu, playing off handicap 7, emerged as the winner in the Ladies category on countback with a score of 87 gross. Rachna Patel, playing off handicap 14, secured the second position with the same score.

    In the Nett categories, Kaburu Mwirichia, playing off handicap 22, clinched the top position among the Men with an impressive score of 62 nett. Janerose Gitari, playing off handicap 23, claimed victory among the ladies with a score of 87 nett.

    At the same time, the Juniors category saw Junaid Manji as the winner with a score of 79 gross.

    In other results, Ayran Patel and Olive Njagi were victorious in the Longest Drive Challenge for the men and ladies’ categories, respectively. Ayran Patel also claimed the Nearest to the Pin Challenge.

    Speaking during the tournament, NCBA Group Investment Banking MD Kathure Nyamu said: “The tenth leg of the 2023 NCBA Golf Series at Muthaiga Golf Club has been nothing short of a success. The talent and dedication displayed by the golfers were inspiring. We are proud to witness the growth of the sport in the region and look forward to the Grand Finale, where we will witness even more exceptional performances.”

    “At NCBA, we believe in building strong connections with our stakeholders and the communities within which we operate. It is for this reason that the NCBA Golf Series is an important platform that brings together golf enthusiasts from different backgrounds, and in the process helps in fostering bonds and relationships between us and the golfing community,” she added.

    In addition to the action on the course, the event also featured an engaging staff golf clinic conducted on the sidelines of the tournament. The clinic provided an opportunity for the staff members of NCBA to experience the sport first-hand and receive expert guidance from seasoned golf instructors.

    Following the successful conclusion of the Muthaiga event, the Series now moves to Nyali Golf & Country Club on the 12th August 2023 for the eleventh leg.

  • Jasmeet optimistic about the title bid

    Jasmeet optimistic about the title bid

    Jasmeet Chama aka Iceman remains upbeat about his chances of lifting his maiden Kenya National Rally Championship crown this season, after  he extended his lead to a massive 67-point advantage over McRae Kimathi.

    Iceman racked up his second KNRC career victory in Eldoret where he also won the B13 category and additional two points to boot for returning second on the powers stage.

    Chana lost the KNRC title to Karan Patel on homestretch in Voi last year but believes he has a better chance this season.

    He is one of the few drivers in the country to have won virtually all support categories of the KNRC including the Two Wheel Drive, Group S, Group N, Division 3 and Division One.

    Over the past two seasons, Iceman has spent longer on the podium than any other driver, but the Nairobi based auto mechanic is happy to have won two out of five events run so far hence the lead in the 9-leg championship.

    “Our strategy is to rack up as many points as possible considering the fact that you don’t need to win a rally to win a championship.”

    Iceman has savored a 100% finish record this season and is happy with the performance of his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X so far.

    “The car ran smoothly with no issues. Just after stage 1, I decided to change the set up on the suspension. We were 2nd on the power stage which is good for  our points tally,” Chana continued.

    “I would firstly thank Rubis Energey for supporting me and believing in me. My wife and brothers for the support and my crew. We went into this rally to consolidate our points make sure the gap stays open.”

    Ford Fiesta Rally 3 driver Mcrae Kimathi was happy with his performance in Eldoret. Navigated by Mwangi Kioni, Kimathi Junior came fourth behind Chana, Ian Duncan and teammate Jeremiah Wahome.

    “It was a muddy event. First stage was slippery for our car. But we gradually increased our pace and savoured a lovely battle with my teammate until he pipped me in the last stage. Otherwise fun event.”

    Hamza Anwar was an early pacesetter; winning the first four stages and retiring on the repeat run of the fifth at Kendur.

    After Hamza’s retirement, his teammate Jeremiah won the next two stages at Kendur2 and Bulgar 3 whose third run  served as the power stage.

     Hamza : “We retired due to a transfer issue. We were quite unlucky but also won the first four stages that we started.”

    Kush Patel, Karan Patel’s younger sibling, won the S Class in sixth overall position.

    Jose Sardinha won the SPV (Specially Prepared Vehicles) Class driving a Mitsubishi Pajero. 

    Jose came seventh overall followed by Navdeep Sandhu and Sam Karangatha who won the Two Wheel Drive class.

    KNRC STANDINGS AFTER ELDORET

    1. Jasmeet Chana 146points

    2. McRae Kimathi 79

    3. Jeremiah Wahome 54

    4.Kush Patel 49

    5. Nikhil Sachania 44

    6. Carl Tundo 39

    7. Karan Patel 34

    8. Amman Shah 33

    9. Hamza Anwar 26

    10.Ian Duncan 25 .

  • Sweden stun holders USA to reach quarters

    Sweden stun holders USA to reach quarters

    Reigning champions the USA are out of the Women’s World Cup after being stunned by Sweden 5-4 on penalties on a night of incredible drama in Melbourne.

    USA dominated the 120 minutes but were denied by an inspired goalkeeping performance from Zecira Musovic as the match finished goalless.

    The drama only ratcheted up further in the shootout. Three USA players missed, including their footballing icon Megan Rapinoe on her last appearance on the world stage, before Sweden won in remarkable circumstances.

    USA keeper Alyssa Naeher appeared to have saved Lina Hurtig’s effort at the second attempt, having pushed the initial effort up before clawing it out.

    But after checking with the video assistant referee (VAR), referee Stephanie Frappart awarded the goal and sparked wild Sweden celebrations.

    USA manager Vlatko Andonovski was not convinced the ball had crossed the line, despite technology confirming the goal.

    “It’s a tough moment,” he said. “It’s a moment where it’s hard to go through, where you hope it didn’t cross the line. I see pictures and I still can’t see it now, but proves how cruel this game can be.”

    Sweden go through to face Japan in the quarter-finals.

    They were indebted to Musovic, who made 11 saves in a game where the USA looked more like the team which won the World Cup in 2015 and 2019 than the one which snuck through the group stage.

    But they could not score and in the shootout Rapinoe, Sophia Smith and Kelley O’Hara all missed, Rapinoe with what is her final action at a World Cup as she has announced she will retire at the end of the year.

    It condemns the USA to their worst performance at the tournament. They had never previously failed to make it to the semi-finals.

  • 28 teams set to battle for 46th Koth Biro title

    28 teams set to battle for 46th Koth Biro title

     

    A total of twenty eight clubs have registered for this year’s annual Koth Biro football tournament.

    The organizers  are close to inching a sponsorship deal with a  Canadian based football agency. A statement revealed August 11th as the launch date for this year’s edition.

    ‘An international football scouting agency which will be unveiled a t a later date has also expressed interest in the tournament’.

    28 football clubs have confirmed participation with the teams drawn from Nairobi,Kajiado and Kiambu Counties.

    “We are extending our registration process, this is despite almost reaching the required number of 32 teams. The excess teams will get a refund for their registration fees after the playoffs. They will however pay for the costs of the playoffs,” Paul Ojenge, Kothbiro Chairman said.

    Korogez lifted lasy years title after beating Leads Fc in the final.

    “We are hoping to have a more exciting and better season following the success of last season,” Ojenge added even as he appealed for more partners to support the grassroot soccer tournament.

    Last year’s title was won by Korogez Fc.

  • Commonwealth Youth Games set to delight in  Trinidad and Tobago

    Commonwealth Youth Games set to delight in  Trinidad and Tobago

     

    Report by Joy Blessing Nabwile

    More than 1,000 athletes from around 70 Commonwealth Nations and Territories were welcomed in style to the first Youth Games since 2017 at the Hesely Crawford Stadium in Trinidad.

    The 7th Commonwealth Youth Games and the first in the Caribbean kicked off in a carnival style at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.

    Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Christine Kangaloo declared the games open in a colorful display.

    In a ceremony bursting with colour and energy, more than 1,000 athletes from around 70 Commonwealth Nations and Territories were welcomed to the first Youth Games since 2017.

    Famous for their appearance at Carnival time, the Carnival Kings and Queens performed alongside a youth steel pan side, while spectators enjoyed tassa and tamboo bamboo stands within the stadium.

    Each sport was represented by an incredible Moko Jumbie, designed to not only glisten in the sunlight, but also show movement similar to the sport.

    Athletes will participate in Aquatics, Athletics Cycling and Triathlon, as well as Rugby Sevens and Beach Volleyball. Netball’s shorter, faster, abridged version  makes its debut at the Youth Games with eight women’s teams competing for a medal.

    The opening ceremony was also attended by  National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K)  president Paul Tergat and Chef de Mission Winnie Kamau.The Kenyan contigent is being managed by general team manager Janeth Jekosgei.

    Kenya’s medal hunt in the games began Saturday with the duo of Billy Graham and Daniel Kiptala taking part in Cycling while Kenya’s beach volleyball girls team also faced Bermuda in their opening match.

    The Youth Games are an established pathway towards the Commonwealth Games, and other major senior sporting events, providing an opportunity to showcase the stars of the future.