The academic giants Alliance Girls High School is set to organize a swimming gala dubbed “BUSH GALA” in July this year in an exercise expected to bring together various swimmers from both primary and secondary schools in a bid to promote development of the sport in Kiambu County.
According to organisers led by Kenya Swimming Federation (KSF) Kiambu Executive Committee member Joseph Ndung’u,the gala will act as a forum of spotting talents and subsequently have them properly nurtured through structures being put in place by the Mt Kenya stakeholders of the game.
“The gala will be used to spot talent in a bid to get best swimmers in the region as the best 3 girls in primary school category will be get an opportunity to join Form 1 at Alliance Girls High School and the best 3 boys in primary section to join the brother school Alliance. The best swimmers in secondary category will get a scholarship at Strathmore University to study either a diploma or a degree course that they have qualified for,” he said
In recent past,focus had been on the National Games for Private and International Preparatory Schools Sports Association (PIPSSA) as Kenya intensified preparations to take part in Kampala Invitational Swimming Championships last April this year.
According to Kiambu County Swimming Federation Chairman Stanley Mwangi Kaberu, the move by Alliance Girls to host the upcoming tourney underscores the region’s commitment in boosting the growth of swimming in both private and public institutions.
Mwangi said that his office is intending to come up with competition programmes among school going children in efforts to spur talent development among the teenagers.
“Our bid to support swimming activities is not only in private schools but across the board and we’re leaving no stone untouched in terms of ensuring that the sport spreads across not only in Kiambu but Mt Kenya as a whole.This is after realisation that most schools have swimming pools and good trainers making it easier for students to partake the sport.” said the long serving swimming stakeholder in the region.
Hid words were echoed by the patron of Mt Kenya Swimming Bloc Bernand Mathu who reiterated the region’s commitment of deploying mechanisms to make the region a swimming powerhouse to rival other swimming blocs like Coast Amateur Swimming Association (CASA) that has dominated galas and international meets in the past.
The gala which is sanctioned by KSF Kiambu will be graced by key personalities in politics, education and sports sector in an event that will see all the participants called upon to meet certain qualifying times participated in previous sanctioned meets.
