The Rift Valley Secondary School Sports Association is taking decisive measures to curb age cheating and the use of ineligible players in school sports
Officials have advised schools to field only genuine students instead of ‘sourcing’ players from outside the educational institutions.
The call for fair play comes ahead of the regional games set to take place in Bomet County from Wednesday to Saturday, involving 14 counties.
The remarks were made during yesterday’s official opening of referees’ training and clinics at Bomet University College.
Secretary of the Association Koech Kirwa highlighted the unfairness of the government allocating funds for sporting activities while schools fielded non-students, thereby denying legitimate students the opportunity to showcase their talents.
“It is not fair for the government to allocate funds for sporting activities while teams are giving chances to players who are not students at the expense of genuine learners,” Kirwa stated.
Also present at the event were Bomet County Director of Education Leonard Ngugi, TSC counterpart William Yator, and Association Vice Chairman Sammy Githungu.
They collectively called for stricter verification of player documents to prevent forgery and ensure a level playing field.
Kirwa emphasized the need for vigilance from game teachers and coaches, urging them to strictly ensure that only legitimate students participate in the games.
“The games teachers and coaches should be strict on the players by ensuring that the genuine students are given a chance to showcase their talents fully. This will help weed out rogue sports teachers who are fond of procuring services of villagers to join their school teams,” he remarked.
He also encouraged students to report any non-students, referred to as ‘mamluki,’ infiltrating their teams to the relevant authorities.
“Stern actions will be meted against unscrupulous schools and teachers who field players to gain an unfair advantage,” Kirwa warned.
The Secretary reiterated that it is against the rules and regulations of the Kenyan National Secondary School Sports Association to allow non-students to participate in championships. Such violations deny bona fide students opportunities to develop their talents.
“Any team found flouting these rules will face bans, and disciplinary actions will be taken against culpable teachers,” he said.
Since the resumption of school games after the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous schools have faced penalties for violating sporting rules, leading to multi-year bans and severe disciplinary actions against teachers.
According to the regulations, only players aged 20 and below are permitted to compete in school games.
Meanwhile, Kirwa assured that game officials and referees have been adequately trained to handle the upcoming championship impartially and competently.
“We cannot condone poor officiating as the handlers are well-trained and expected to perform their duties diligently and impartially without fear or favour,” he concluded.
By Lamech Willy
