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Kwanthanze Girls Volleyball Team jetted back into the country at the weekend from Casablanca Morocco to a heroes welcome after winning the Africa Secondary School Sports Championships. The team is set to fly to France for the World Championship later in the year.

The African Champions were received at the airport by Machakos County Deputy governor Francis Mwangangi and later hosted a breakfast at a city hotel by Machakos governor Wavinya Ndeti.

Kwanthanze girls brought Machakos Town to a standstill as their entourage which comprised of several neighbouring schools moved through the streets singing in jubilation with the Machakos School Brass band leading the celebrations.

The girls’ team led by coach Justin Kigwari was accompanied to Morocco by a 25-member delegation from both the County Assembly and the Executive including the County Sports Executive Member Mr Onesmus Muasya.

Kwanthanze who had earlier won the East Africa Schools Championship in Arusha beat Lycee Bir Anzarane of Morocco to take the crown.

“We thank governor Wavinya Ndeti for the support. We accompanied the team to Morocco. It was a 25-member delegation and to be in Morocco is quite expensive but you supported us,” said  Muasya at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Kigwari who has successfully led the team to regional championships for several years said the side did thorough preparations for the continental championship, including watching videos of their opponents to enable them to capitalise on their competitors’ weaknesses.

He declared that the team is ready for the next level of competition as it is equal to the task ahead.

Mwangangi said the county government’s support to the team including a motivational talk by the governor and facilitation including air tickets for the team had paid off in the end.

“To our Africa Champions, you have won. I know there is the World Championship ahead. That should be the focus from now,” said Mwangangi.

The mixed public secondary School located in Machakos Town has become a destination for Sports tourism as schools visit to benchmark on the volleyball game where the girls have reigned supreme in the region for many years.