Listen to This Article Enhance your reading experience by listening to this article.

Kenya Kabadii Sports Federation (KBSF) begun their 2024 with the New Year Cup, a pre-season tournament that was held on Saturday at Egerton University in Njoro, Nakuru County on Saturday ahead of the new league season.

Kenya Police asserted their dominance by winning the senior men’s category while Administration Police won the senior women’s category, both teams ready to defend the league title that they won last year. “

This season we expect tough opposition because of the formation and inclusion of new teams into the league, so this tournament has served us good purpose as we gear on to begin the league in February and yes we dearly want to defend our title,” said Amos Kagiri the head coach of Kenya Police who also praised Administration Police (AP) women’s team head coach Reuben Odipo for winning the women’s category and wished him well ahead of the new season.

A total of 16 teams showed up for the event with six participating in the men’s category and only four for the women’s while the junior category had three boys teams and three girls teams.

Kenya Police’s Zacheus Okoth scooped the men’s best player award while AP’s Hilda Ambani won the women’s best player award. Competitions Secretary Perpetual Muthoni Mbutu and Federation Chairperson Mathew Mwangi summarized by saying that after this event, preparations for the new 2024-league season are already in high gear with a set date for the launch ceremony to happen in Kajiado County on 16th February.

KBFS is now on the right course as Kabadii is being popularized across the country and the federation has also promised that this year both the men’s and the women’s national teams will participate more in international matches even as the league continues to grow locally.-Shadrack Andenga