By KPC Sports Reporter
Defending champions Kenyatta University (KU) launched their title defence with a 27-17 victory over rivals University of Eldoret (UOE) in a men’s handball match on the opening day of the Kenya Universities Sports Federation (KUSF) ball games at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) on Thursday morning.
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The win marked a strong start for KU in a highly anticipated clash between last year’s finalists.
The highly anticipated encounter, billed as a “final before the final,” lived up to expectations as last year’s finalists battled fiercely in a tightly contested Pool A opener.
KU, however, proved dominant, replicating their previous victory over UOE to secure a convincing win.
Elsewhere in men’s handball, Rongo University defeated Pwani University 15-10, while former champions Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) overcame Kabarak University 23-16.
In the women’s handball matches, Daystar University registered a 21-12 win over Egerton University, as Rongo edged Pwani 15-13.
Meru University also impressed with a 23-16 victory over the University of Nairobi (UoN).
In netball, UOE’s men’s team made a strong start to their title defence with a narrow 15-14 win over KU in Pool A. Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOUOST) beat Tharaka University 15-13, while UoN saw off Kamusinga Friends University (KAFU) 12-9.
KU’s women’s netball team delivered one of the day’s standout performances, thrashing defending champions UOE 27-14. Kisii University cruised past Taita Taveta University (TTU) 26-5, while hosts CUEA edged Meru University 22-19 to the delight of the home crowd.
UOE captain Bob Kiluki expressed confidence after their opening win, saying: “We are here on a mission to defend our title. Winning the first match shows we have prepared well for the national championships.”
He added: “There is pressure because every team wants to beat us, but we are ready. We have prepared well and we are focused on defending our title.”
In volleyball, Karatina University (KARU) and KU also posted opening wins. KARU staged a comeback to defeat JKUAT in a five-set thriller (25-17, 14-25, 25-23, 17-25, 15-7) in the men’s category.
KU, on the other hand, secured a 3-1 victory over KARU in the women’s match (21-25, 23-25, 25-23, 23-25).
KARU men’s captain John Ogweno said the opening win had boosted their confidence, adding that the team is targeting the title after falling short in last year’s quarterfinals.
“Winning our first match gives us confidence. Last year we were eliminated in the quarterfinals, which was disappointing. This time, we are aiming for the title,” he said.
“Our strong service, solid blocks, and good reception made the difference today.”
