UOE Aims to Retain Netball Crown at KUSF Play-offs in Nairobi

Defending champions University of Eldoret (UOE) will pursue netball title victories in both men’s and women’s divisions during the Kenya Universities Sports Federation (KUSF) ball games play-offs scheduled from Thursday morning until Sunday afternoon.
Hosted at Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), the four-day event will feature the top two squads from each KUSF Conference nationwide between March 26 and 29.
The competitions will encompass various sports such as football, netball, basketball, hockey, rugby sevens, and volleyball. Rugby 15s has been newly added this year, broadening the athletic offerings.
UOE netball head coach Stellar Kiptoo expresses confidence in her team’s ability to keep the championship title they secured last year at Kenyatta University.
She highlighted that their qualification was secured through tough competition at the Rift Valley Conference Championships hosted at Maasai Mara University. ‘We faced strong opponents where we succeeded in defeating Egerton University to advance to the nationals,’ she stated.
Despite their reigning champion status, Kiptoo recognized the difficulties that lie ahead following the departure of several key players. ‘For the nationals, we must exert additional effort as five of my primary team members have graduated, leaving only two. This creates a significant hurdle, yet we are prepared,’ she added, noting intense rivalry from Nairobi and Western conferences.
KUSF Secretary General Joan Adalo highlighted the intense nature of this year’s play-offs, indicating that all qualifying teams will take part.
Meanwhile, defending football champions Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) will not participate, with the Western Conference instead featuring newcomers like Kibabii University and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST).
The tournament is anticipated to draw more than 1,500 student-athletes in both men’s and women’s divisions across various locations.
University of Nairobi will serve as the hockey venue, Strathmore University will host basketball, and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) Karen campus will accommodate netball, with other competitions held at CUEA.