National Super League side Migori Youth will have to wait for at least another season after their attempts to gain promotion to the Kenyan Premier League floundered following their 0-3 defeat to wazito FC in a promotion play off played at Muhoroni Stadium.
Wazito retained their top tier status after emerging winners of the two legged play off after forcing a barren draw in the first leg last weekend.
During the encounter Stephen Mbulere scored Wazito’s opening goal after a tesing fre kick by Robert Onyango.
Robert Onyango would later get his name on the score sheet after doubling the lead in the second half. Collins Neto assured the side of their top tier status after scoring the third in the 54th minute.
Following the win Wazito FC will face Nairobi City Stars in their opening game of the 2023/24 FKF-PL season on August 27th while Migori remains in the second tier to fight for another chance to gain promotion.
The Captain of Kericho Club Ignatius Ng’etich and his playing partner Joel Chebon played a combined score of 45 stableford points to emerge top over a field of 44 pairs.
The pair of Seth Oburu & Elizabeth Wambi from Nyanza Club played 44 points to emerge runner up. Lydia Jebichii & Eileen Jepchumba of Nandi Bears Club finished third having beat the pair of Moses Tanui of Eldoret Club & Romy Sandhu of Nyanza Golf Club on countback.
The two pairs both played 43 points. William Kirui & Raymond Bii of Kericho Club played 42 points and beat the pairs of David Biegon & Charles Langat and Patrick Cheruiyot & Leonard Koech on countback to emerge fifth. The top 5 pairs secured slots to the Grand Finale to be held on 1st September 2023.
The golfers are competing in pairs in the series whose top prize is the fully paid for golfing trip to Portugal for the world finals to be held from the 6th to 10th November at the Royal Obidos Spa & Golf Resort and Bom Sucesso Resort.
The top 3 pairs in the Grand Finale qualify for the World Finals.
The Kenya Golf Union Executive-Sammy Itemere- who presided over the presentation ceremony lauded the club for the great turnout and participation in the International Pairs Series.
“A special appreciation to Kericho Club members for the participation in the International Pairs not only here at home but also in other clubs. Your participation has not been in vain as the pair of Erick Mutai and Julius Rono participated in the world finals last year in Spain. The two have also secured their slots in the Grand Finale at Muthaiga and have set their eyes on Portugal this year. Congratulations to the 5 pairs that have secured slots through this qualifier. You are well in the Race to Portugal. If you didn’t qualify today, you have 5 more opportunities through the upcoming qualifiers.”
Moses Tanui Awards Lydia Jebichii and Eileen Jepchumba
The next event in the series is set for the 29th July 2023 at the Great Rift Valley Golf Resort. The Great Rift Valley Golf Resort will also be hosting the 101st Kenya Amateur Matchplay Championship during the same weekend and the players will get a chance to enjoy watching the competition.
Dr.Kimeli Mutai awards Seth Oburu and Elizabeth Akinyi
In each qualifier, the top 4 pairs, best ladies’ pair or best mixed pair qualify for the Grand Finale. Since the start of the series in 2019, 7 pairs have participated in the fully paid trip to the World Finals.
John Odhiambo emerged the winner of the ninth leg of the NCBA Golf series held at the par 72 Royal Golf Club, Nairobi.
Odhiambo beat a pool of 249 other after posting 76 gross to clinch the leg.
The Men’s Gross category saw Joseph Oballa, playing off handicap 7, clinching victory with a score of 78 gross. Not far behind, Paul Ichangi, playing off handicap 5, secured the runner-up position with a score of 81 gross.
In the fiercely contested Ladies Category, Diana Mbuba, playing off handicap 7, claimed the top spot with an impressive score of 80 gross, after countback. Njeri Onyango, playing off handicap 8, put up a formidable challenge to come in second with similar points.
The Nett Categories saw Yash Goel, playing off handicap 24, emerging as the winner among the Men with an impressive score of 66 nett, while Hellen Musalia, playing off handicap 36, claimed the top spot among the women with a score of 69 nett.
Junior golfer Mwathi Gicheru in action at Royal Nairobi Golf Club
In the Juniors category, Joshua Kounah, playing off handicap 30, showcased his immense talent and emerged as the winner with a remarkable score of 66 nett.
The Longest Drive challenge saw Rowny Ng’etich and Diana Mbuba dazzle among the men and ladies, respectively, showcasing their power and accuracy off the tee. Sunny Babra displayed remarkable precision and claimed victory in the Nearest to the Pin challenge.
Royal Golf Club’s Lucy Kisia in action during her club’s leg of the NCBA Golf Series. She managed to hit a hole-in-one on hole number 17
The highlight of the event came when Lucy Kisia hit a spectacular hole-in-one on hole number 17. Lucy was previously among the top winners of the 2022 NCBA Golf Series, earning herself a coveted opportunity to visit the famed Fancourt Golf Estate.
Speaking during the event, Acting NCBA Group Director, Corporate Banking, Charles Omondi, expressed his admiration for the golfers’ skill and dedication, stating; “The Series has consistently showcased the immense talent present in the region’s golfing community. We are proud to witness such outstanding performances from all the participants. We are also delighted by the tremendous turnout of 249 golfers which showcases the great reception of the series among the golfing community.”
Following the Royal event, the series now moves to Muthaiga Golf Club for the tenth leg, which is set to be held on 5th August 2023.
Jamaica made history Sunday by picking up their first point in a Women’s World Cup — after three defeats in their 2019 debut — as they put up a great fight against France to frustrate them 0-0 in Sydney.
Herve Renard’s France could not break down a disciplined Jamaica, for whom the only dampener amid heavy rain at Sydney Football Stadium was having captain Khadija Shaw sent off late on.
This was Jamaica’s first point at a Women’s World Cup – and it came against a side 38 places higher in the Fifa rankings.
“It’s a real victorious feeling for us,” said player of the match Deneisha Blackwood, while her manager hailed it as the greatest football result for any Jamaica team.
“I would say it is the number one result we have had so far,” said Donaldson. “The number one result, men or women.
“Just look at the rankings. You would say this result, on this stage, has to be number one.”
France, meanwhile, must now regroup for their meeting with fellow Group F favourites Brazil on 29 July.
They came close to scoring in the first half when Kadidiatou Diani had a near-post drive scooped away by Becky Spencer before a deflected effort which flashed past the post.
Diani then twice headed narrowly wide before hitting the crossbar and post late in the second half, but Jamaica were roared on to a draw by the locals and neutrals as the latest smaller nation to impress at these finals.
The inaugural Transmara Classic athletics race is set to be held Saturday and Sunday at Kilgoris DEB Primary School in Kilgoris Town, Narok County.
According to race organizers, Gigiz Sports Management Limited, more than 1,500 athletes are expected to compete in the two-day competition aimed at identifying young talent.
The athletes will battle out for honors in a total of 6 race categories including the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m and 3,000 meters steeple chase races. Apart from track and field activities, the local Maasai community will also take part in traditional sports such as Rungu throwing and jumping.
The event has drawn participants from neighboring schools and athletics camps.
Speaking ahead of the event, Gigiz Sports Management Director Betty Rono said the event’s objective is to afford the upcoming runners more so the female racers an upstart in their nascent careers.
“Once we get the fine athletes we will be able to introduce and give them further trainings in the camps in places like Iten and its environs. We want them to have a feel of places where our world beaters have trained,” said Rono.
While lauding the sponsors and partners to the event, Rono said the Narok county government will award the race winners cash prizes; “Being our first event, we are delighted that the county government and the local leadership has embraced it and we are certain this event will grow to the next level.”
800M world recorder holder David Rudisha and a cast of former and current Kenyan athletes are expected to grace the race.
The Transmara region has produced notable names who have gone on to win at the international stage including :two time 800m World champion Billy Konchellah,1968 Mexico Olympics, silver medalist,Daniel Rudisha and his son David Lekuta Rudisha, who is now the World 800 M record holder.
The race coincides with the migration of one million wildebeest to the neighboring Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.
Maasai Mara National Reserve is one of Africa’s best-known wildlife sanctuaries staggering 1,530 square Kilometres being the home wide variety of wildlife.
Debutants Zambia lost to Japan 5-0 in their opening group match at the ongoing FIFA Women’s World Cup in New Zealand.
Hinata Miyazawa’s two goals were separated by a Mina Tanaka strike before Jun Endo added a fourth.
Zambia goalkeeper Catherine Musonda got a second yellow card for conceding a late penalty in Hamilton, New Zealand.
Her replacement Eunice Sakala saved Riko Ueki’s penalty but was ruled to have come off her line and the Japan striker slotted home the second effort.
Japan move top of Group C, above Spain on goal difference.
Futoshi Ikeda’s side’s late spot-kick means there has been a penalty awarded in all seven games of this year’s tournament so far – but only three have been successfully converted.
Aoba Fujino was the Nadeshiko’s primary threat early on, forcing Musonda into a fingertip save with a close-range effort before firing a 25-yard shot off the woodwork two minutes later.
Zambia were handed the first of several lifelines after 20 minutes when the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervened to rule out Mina Tanaki’s goal for offside after the Japan forward had reacted quickly to the Copper Queens’ inability to clear their lines from Endo’s in-swinging free-kick.
Japan finally made their breakthrough just before the break when Miyazawa raced onto Fujino’s delivery across the face of goal and slotted past Musonda with a calm right-footed finish.
VAR took centre stage again in a hectic start to the second half, when Tanaki had her second goal of the game ruled out for offside and Japan had a penalty revoked soon after when Fujino – who was wiped out in the box by Musonda – was judged to be narrowly offside in the build-up.
It was third time lucky for Tanaki, however, as she slid in to reach Endo’s cross and guide it into the Zambia net to double Japan’s lead in the 55th minute.
Miyazawa then got her second shortly after with an easy tap-in and Endo added a fourth in the 71st minute.
In the seventh minute of added time, Musonda rushed out and brought down Ueki inside the area, earning herself a second yellow card and presenting Japan with a penalty.
Substitute keeper Sakala, making her international debut, saved the first effort but was deemed to have been off her line by VAR when she tipped the strike onto the bar and Ueki made no mistake with her second attempt to score her side’s fifth.
Kalle Rovanperä came out on top of a thrilling battle with Thierry Neuville to lead Rally Estonia after Friday’s pulsating opening leg.
Just 2.2sec separated the duelling duo after 133.38km of thrilling competition on lightning-fast gravel roads around Estonia’s second city Tartu, host to round eight of this year’s FIA World Rally Championship.
Hyundai i20 N star Neuville was quickest out of the blocks and outpaced his Finnish rival on all three of the morning’s stages to build a 6.8sec advantage at the midpoint. But the tables were turned in Rovanperä’s favour on the repeated loop later in the day.
The Toyota GR Yaris sensation posted a brace of benchmark times to reel Neuville in, snatching the top spot in Mustvee 2. The Belgian pulled back a single tenth in the following test but was ultimately no match for Rovanperä in the Neeruti finale, traversed only once.
“It has not been such a bad day overall,” said Rovanperä, winner of the past two Rally Estonia editions. “I am a bit disappointed that I lost a bit of time going wide in one corner [in the final stage] but it was not so bad. I tried to push a bit but in the first pass conditions it’s not so easy.”
Esapekka Lappi’s Hyundai was put at a power disadvantage when he “jumped too far” in SS2, causing the car’s hybrid unit to cease working. Repairs were made in service and the resurgent Finn fought back to claim third overall, leapfrogging Elfyn Evans in the penultimate stage. He headed the GR Yaris-driving Welshman by 2.7sec at close of play.
Teemu Suninen was all smiles after successfully completing his first day behind the wheel of a Rally1-specification Hyundai. Although he was, at times, left speechless by the raw speed of the car, the 29-year-old set a respectable pace and trailed Evans by 16.9sec in fifth.
Pierre-Louis Loubet was sixth in a Ford Puma, a top-three time in Raanitsa 2 being the highlight of his day.
His team-mate and home favourite Ott Tänak would have been leading the rally on outright pace. However, the Estonian was dealt a five-minute time penalty prior to the start because his M-Sport Ford team carried out an engine replacement after the car developed an issue during Thursday’s shakedown.
Takamoto Katsuta lacked confidence in his Toyota and languished 16.7sec back from Loubet in seventh overall as a consequence. Behind him was WRC2 leader Andreas Mikkelsen, who led fellow Rally2 drivers Gus Greensmith and Sami Pajari overnight.
Saturday is centred around the ski resort of Otepää. Double runs of Mäeküla (10.27km) and Otepää (11.15km) are followed by a service halt before the action resumes with Elva (11.73km) and Kanepi (16.48km), both of which are driven twice. An encore of the Tartu vald stage rounds out the day.
Christine Sinclair missed a chance to become the first player to score at six Fifa World Cups as Canada were held by Nigeria.
Nigeria keeper Chiamaka Nnadozie kept out Sinclair’s spot-kick early in the second half as the Olympic champions were frustrated in Melbourne.
Deborah Abiodun was sent off late on for Nigeria, however they earned a point with a battling display.
Canada and Nigeria have one point in Group B, behind co-hosts Australia.
The Canadians face Republic of Ireland in their next game on 26 July, after the Irish were beaten by Australia on Thursday.
Their captain Sinclair went into this game aiming to make some personal history. The 40-year-old forward was making her 324th international appearance and has scored 190 goals for her country.
She is one of three players to score at five Fifa World Cups – alongside Marta and Cristiano Ronaldo – and seemed destined to make history when she was fouled inside the area by Francisca Ordega early in the second half.
Referee Lina Lehtovaara awarded the penalty after the video assistant referee intervened, however Sinclair’s effort was weak and well saved by impressive Nigerian keeper Nnadozie.
Nigeria, ranked 33 places lower than Canada in the Fifa rankings, defended deep and prevented Canada from many clear chances other than the penalty.
Sinclair fired narrowly wide from the edge of the area in the first half, while Nnadozie kept out Evelyne Viens’ stabbed effort in the second.
Nigeria came closest to a goal in the first half when a mistake from Canadian keeper Kailen Sheridan allowed forward Asisat Oshoala to round her, however the Barcelona forward’s shot from a tight angle was well blocked by Ashley Lawrence.
VAR again intervened in the final seconds to instruct Lehtovaara to send off Abiodun for a high tackle on Lawrence, after the Finnish official originally only gave a yellow card.
However Nigeria held on to give them fresh hope of getting out of their Women’s World Cup group for only the third time in nine tournaments.
The Kenya 15’s Under 20 rugby team ‘Chipu’ lost their second consecutive match in the ongoing World Rugby Under 20 trophy after losing 18-48 to Spain in a pool B game played at Nyayo National Stadium Nairobi.
Spain were more clinical in the second half scoring five tries to add to the three they had scored in the first half to take the win and set up a winner takes it all pool B encounter against Samoa next Tuesday in their final group match.
Kenya scored the first points of the match in the eighth minute through George Otieno. Spain got back on level terms when they converted their third meaningful foray into the Kenya 22 into a try for full-back Gabriel Rocaries.
Beau Finnian Peart slotted a good touchline conversion to cancel out Faran Juma’s two-pointer earlier in the piece and the scores were level at 7-7.
Kenya went ahead with Geylord Ngasi try.Spain fought from behind again with Peart beating the Kenyan defence to score Spain’s second try which went unconverted to keep the scores at 12-12.
Spain would assume the lead fro the first time in the game through Diego Gonzalez.Kenya reduced the deficit to just two points through Faran Juma’s penalty.
Spain returned in the second half a dangerous outfit and scored their fourth try through Alvaro Garcia Albo. Eloy De La Pisa,Javier Lopez de Haro added further tries to hand Spain the win.
Kenya will face Hong Kong China in their final pool B match on Tuesday next week.
The third round of the pool stage takes place on 25 July, with the teams that finish top of each pool at the end of it contesting the final five days later. Whoever wins that match will be promoted to the World Rugby U20 Championship in 2024.
The construction of Malinya Stadium in Ikolomani Constituency, Kakamega County is expected to commence in August and will take up to two years to be completed.
According to Deputy Director of Sports Kenya, Alex Kataka the stadium which will be built to International specifications will cost a billion shillings and will act as a bullfighting ring as well as host other disciplines including Soccer, Athletics, Netball among others.
‘’’We are going to build a multipurpose stadium. Every sportsperson will be using the facility’’ remarked Kataka who also added ‘’ This is the place where talents will identified and honed’’.
The construction of the 20,000 seater facility in Ikolomani will boost the regions talent growth and will relieve Bukhungu Stadium the pressure as a sole standard sporting facility in the county.
Area Member of Parliament Bernard Shinali called upon the contractor of the project to prioritize local residents in job opportunities.
‘’The stadium will be of international standard and we will make sure that drainage and electricity is fixed per the requirements. It will have trade stall for people to sell their wares. Contractor will work with the locals for the work that will require their skill’’ Shinali said.
