Mombasa: History was rewritten over the weekend at the Bomet IAAF Stadium as Cheptalal Girls Secondary School ended a 16-year reign of volleyball dominance by Kaboson Girls. Cheptalal emerged as the new Bomet County champions with a stunning 3-1 sets victory.
According to Kenya News Agency, the much-anticipated final in the ongoing second term secondary school ball games, initially slated for Boito field, was shifted to the larger IAAF stadium due to overwhelming fan turnout and high public interest. Senior Principal Florence Koech noted that Cheptalal's win was more than just a match victory but a culmination of a six-year journey of persistence, discipline, and strategic investment in talent.
'We've worked patiently and consistently for this moment, to finally lift the trophy and break the streak of my former school, Kaboson; it is a bittersweet moment. But above all, I'm proud of these girls-they deserve every bit of this victory,' said Mrs. Koech.
Ms. Koech, notably a former Principal of Kaboson Girls, led the transformation at Cheptalal with Volleyball Coach Nicholas Kirui, who also once coached Kaboson to multiple championships between 2009 and 2016. 'It's poetic. I had built a legacy at Kaboson before my transfer to Cheptalal, but every record is meant to be broken, only I never imagined I'd be the one to break the Mansion record from the other side. These Cheptalal girls believed and trained hard, and now they've made history,' said Coach Kirui.
Cheptalal Girls will now carry Bomet County's hopes to the Regional Championships set to be held at Eldoret Polytechnic next week, where they'll face off with the top teams from across the Rift Valley.
In the boys' football final, Kaplong Boys High School edged out Tenwek High School in a dramatic penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in regular time. Kaplong kept their nerve to seal the win and maintain their status as county champions in both football and rugby, repeating last year's impressive feat. 'We came here knowing we had a legacy to protect. Tenwek gave us a tough game, but we held our ground and trusted each other. We're proud to represent Bomet again,' said Kaplong Captain Brian Kiprotich.
Sports officials led by Bomet County Secondary Sports Secretary Nicholus Kurgat and fans praised the tournament for its high level of competition and rising standards in school games. 'The future of sports in Bomet is bright. What Cheptalal has done today proves that investing in girls' sports pays off, and Kaplong's consistency is commendable,' said Kurgat.
The regional contests in Eldoret now await as Bomet's top teams prepare to test their mettle against the best in the region from next week.