The inaugural Cabinet Secretary (CS) Eliud Owallo’s basketball tournament saw Onjiko High school narrowly edge out Maseno by 39 – 37 Saturday.

The clash, watched by the CS himself who is the sponsor through Eliud Owallo Foundation, culminatinated in Onjiko, the reigning Nyanza Basketball champions carrying the day.

Owallo, CS for Information, Communication and Digital Economy, promised to revamp the basketball game which was at its lowest ebb in the region.

He said the region was once upon a time the main feeder of Kenya national basketball team producing top notch players in the country.

The CS singled out former basketball giants in the sport as including: Lakers and Juakali with secondary schools; Maseno, St. Mary’s Yala, Cardinal Otunga (Mosocho) and Kisumu Boys.

He challenged the tournament organisers to select players to form two Nyanza based basketball teams- male and female- which would represent the region.

The CS appealed to the former top basketball players, charged with organising the tourna
ment to select best players to represent Nyanza.

He revealed that the players would be in two categories for boys and girls, saying they would be supported all the way.

‘We cannot watch our teams sink to the lowest ebb but we must work to nurture fresh talent as we strive to revive this game in Nyanza,’ he reassured.

Respective schools will also be supported depending on their priority needs alongside sports, he stated.

The tournament has attracted 26 schools from the Nyanza region with various organizations led by Kenya Sports Academy (KAS) and Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) camping there keen to scout for the best talented players.

All the 26 teams received uniforms donated by the Foundation. The participating teams included 13 boys and 13 girls’ schools from Kisumu, Homa Bay, Siaya, Nyamira, Kisii and Migori counties.

This translates to 390 student-athletes drawn from Nyanza schools having taken part in the tournament under the watchful eyes of some of the top cream players Kenya has ever had.

Ow
allo said that having been a basketball player himself, it was time to team up with other top notch colleagues to pay back to society.

He pointed out that talent is good only if it is well nurtured and fully exploited for income generation.

The CS advised the Basketball Federation to watch out for corruption which rocked the soccer game in Kenya with far reaching consequences.

The matches were played at Maseno, Kisumu Boys, Kisumu Girls, and Jomo Kenyatta Sports Ground.

Kenya Academy of Sports (KAS) Director John Okwemba said they were scouting for talented players for a team set to represent Kenya in USA later this year.

Joseph Were who is the head coach for Onjiko, the Nyanza giant has set his eyes on the Eliud Owalo basketball trophy.

Were exuded confidence that his team would win the secondary basketball festival trophy despite the anticipated challenges from their arch-rivals.

Source: Kenya News Agency

SWAKOPMUND: The Namibian Police Force’s Unit Commander for Community Policing in Erongo, Chief Inspector Ileni Shapumba, has raised concern about the continued withdrawal of gender-based violence cases by complainants.

Shapumba noted that this continues to happen despite the fact that the police have repeatedly said anyone who wishes to withdraw a gender-based violence related case should only do so in court.

This comes after two repeat offenders were reportedly involved in cases of murder and attempted murder at Okombahe and Swakopmund respectively.

According to Shapumba, the suspects in both cases were recently released from custody after their alleged victims withdrew the cases against them.

In a crime report on Sunday, the unit commander said the first incident occurred between 02h00 and 03h00 on Saturday at the Okombahe settlement. The woman and her boyfriend reportedly had a heated argument and he then allegedly struck her with a rock. The attack left the woman with serious injuries on her head, upp
er arm, left leg and elsewhere on her body which resulted in her death.

A case of murder and obstruction or defeating the course of justice has been laid against the 26-year-old man, who reportedly attempted to remove evidence of the act and clean the blood stains.

The suspect has been arrested and is expected to appear in court.

The deceased has been identified as 34-year-old Beverly Theresia Nanus. Her next of kin have been informed.

In the case of attempted murder which allegedly took place in Swakopmund’s DRC Informal Settlement around 18h00 on Thursday, the 33-year-old complainant was reportedly stabbed all over her body and in the face with a bottle by her ex-boyfriend.

The woman has been admitted to the Swakopmund State Hospital.

The suspect was arrested and police investigations are ongoing.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency