Uasin Gishu Junior School (Boys) and Testimony Junior School (Girls) emerged as the champions of the M-PESA Jr. NBA Rift Valley regional finals held on Sunday at the Uasin Gishu school courts in Eldoret. The thrilling event saw intense competition among young basketball talents from across Rift Valley.
In the boys’ final, hosts Uasin Gishu Junior School secured a narrow 13-11 victory over Testimony Junior School from Kesses. With the game tied at 11-11 in the final seconds, Daniel Mwangi delivered a clutch, buzzer-beating layup to hand his team the championship. The dramatic finish left the home crowd in celebration while the visiting team bowed out after a hard-fought contest.
The girls’ final was equally electrifying, with Testimony Junior School edging out Uasin Gishu Junior School by a single point, 18-17. The match was a defensive battle in the closing moments, with Uasin Gishu’s Mary Tindi and Zawadi Agwanda pushing for a last-second basket, only to be denied by Testimony’s resolute defense. The narrow loss left the home side emotional, but their effort was commendable.
Barry Wycliff, Head Coach of Testimony Junior School, expressed pride in his teams’ performance. “It has been an amazing tournament, giving our young players the chance to compete on a big basketball platform. We secured the top spot in the girls’ category and finished runners-up in the boys’ division, which is something I am very happy about. The talent here is incredible, and with proper nurturing, Kenya can become a basketball powerhouse,” he said.
Maurice Ouma, Head Coach of Uasin Gishu Junior School, echoed similar sentiments. “M-PESA and NBA Africa are doing a fantastic job in nurturing talent. The level of play we’ve witnessed is remarkable. If we continue investing in young players and building solid structures, we can produce top-tier talent in Kenya.”
KapKoi Junior School (boys) and AIC Lelmokwo Junior School (girls) secured third place, defeating Open Arms and Kipsinende Junior School, respectively. The tournament featured 40 teams and 450 players from Rift Valley counties.
The M-PESA Jr. NBA tournament now moves to Kisumu on March 22-23, 2025, at Kenyatta Sports Ground, as the search for Kenya’s next basketball stars continues.
