Written by Leonard Wamalwa 2012-08-14 15:02:00 Read 1077 Times

Justice Minister Eugene Wamalwa having a look of the trophy during the celebrations[PHOTO|Leonard Wamalwa|WestFm]

Justice Minister Eugene Wamalwa and his forestry and wildlife counterpart Dr Noah Wekesa joined the wide St Anthony Boys community in celebrating their clinching of this year's National Secondary Schools Soccer Championship.

The ceremony that was held in the school compound and attended by people from all walks of life including Education Administrators among other stakeholders saw the school soccer team players hand over the coveted trophy to their principal Cosmas Nabungolo as the ministers witnessed.

Justice Minister Wamalwa and Wildlife Minister Wekesa dance to a song during the celebrations[PHOTO|Leonard Wamalwa|WestFm]

Speaking during the ceremony the two members of cabinet praised the school for its tremendous achievements in both co-curricular activities and academics that have seen the institution fly high the name of Trans Nzoia County.

Wamalwa however urged them to double their efforts so that they can feature prominently in the National Examinations the way they have featured in soccer and hockey where they have reigned severally in the country and in the East African region.

He pledged to support the school attain the best sporting facilities and become a center of excellence in the county both academically and in sports.

The Saboti MP in whose constituency the school is situated lauded the consistent move by the school in clinching trophies in soccer whereby it has had ten provincial championship trophies, four national trophies and one regional trophy.

Wamalwa further urged other sponsors including UNICEF to sponsor sporting facilities at St Anthony noting that the organization had done a lot of work in other schools of St Anthony's caliber at the Coast, North Eastern, Nairobi and Western among other regions hence urged them to do the same in Trans Nzoia County.

During the ceremony the Justice Minister took the opportunity to pass across the peace message to teachers and students to be champions and ambassadors of peace in the run to the next general elections so that the country does not go back to the 2007/2008 post elections violence scenario.

"As you go back home you teachers we know you are opinion leaders in your own right and therefore I urge you to be ambassadors and champions of peace in this county just as we have become champions in soccer and other activities which the students and pupils also need to embrace," Wamalwa said.

At the same time the wildlife minister Wekesa pledged to initiate the introduction of table tennis in the school to nurture players that can reach the international standards that were achieved by his own son Paul Wekesa in the '80s and '90s.

The school has also had sterling performances in hockey whereby it has won the East African Secondary Schools regional championship since 2008 and are also slated to travel to Burundi to defend the cup after they emerged victorious nationally again during the finals that were held in Kisumu in April.

St Anthony's soccer team famously known as Solidarity Boys is the only Kenyan team that has won the regional trophy since its inception in 2003 whereby they were the pioneer winners.

They are optimistic to reclaim the trophy this year as they travel to Burundi at the end of this month to participate in the tournament that comprises of national champions of secondary schools from all the East African countries.

St Antony Boys marksmen Oscar Silikhani and Ken Simiyu who scored the two goals posing with the trophy as the two ministers and school principle among other guests look on[PHOTO|Leonard Wamalwa|WestFm]

St Anthony became this year's National Soccer Champions after they thrashed Upper Hill High School from Nairobi county 2-0 in the final match held at Shanzu Teachers Training College in Mombasa County last Saturday.

Also from North Rift region were St Teresa's Tartar Girls from neighboring West Pokot County that emerged national winners of ladies soccer after they outsmarted St John's Kaloleni from Mombasa with a record 5-0 in the final match and are therefore also preparing to attend the regional championships in Burundi at the end of this month.

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