By Aoma Keziah,
St Johns’ Junior Secondary School from Korogocho and Kibera’s Olympic Junior Secondary School are the new champions of the M-PESA Jr.NBA Nairobi edition.
In a tightly contested 5-on-5 Boys’ final, St. John’s JSS edged out Olympic JSS 16-13 in a mouth-watering showdown at the Sabis International School Basketball Arena. St. John’s Byron Onyango set the tone early with a smooth two pointer before Olympics’ Antony Onyango responded, keeping the score tight at 9-7 by halftime. Olympic fought hard to mount a comeback in the second half, but St. John’s held their ground, sealing the game 7-6 to claim the championship.
“First, I want to thank the Jr. NBA and the Safaricom M-PESA team for organising this wonderful tournament, providing our young players with a platform to showcase their talents. This has been a great experience, especially for those who have never played in such high-quality facilities. They have also had the opportunity to interact and learn not just about basketball but also about the financial literacy services offered by the M-PESA team. Our opponents were tough and highly experienced, pushing us to our limits, giving us a real challenge, but we played a tactical game, which ultimately led us to victory.” Said Brian Busaka, Head Coach, St. John’s JSS
In the Girls’ contest, Olympic Junior Secondary School cruised past St. John’s JSS 25-3 in a one-sided affair. Coach Ezra Alenga’s squad controlled the tempo from the opening tip, closing the first half with a13-3 lead, maintaining high defensive pressure that shutout St. John’s 12-0 in the second half before the final whistle.
“Being crowned Jr. NBA Nairobi champions is something we are incredibly happy about as a team. This is a historic moment in our basketball journey. We came prepared, knowing the competition would be tough considering there were many teams, and our hard work paid off. Training consistently gave us the edge, and we dominated on both ends of the court. I am also thrilled to receive a smartphone from Safaricom, it is really an amazing reward that I personally didn’t expect. Tournaments like this will inspire more young players to take up the game and dream big.” Remarked Amimo of Olympic school.
Makini School and Buruburu’s Harambee JSS secured third and fourth place, respectively, in the Boys’ category. In the Girls’ side, Daima and Chrisco Junior Secondary Schools finished third and fourth, respectively.
Both St. John’s JSS (Boys) and Olympic JSS (Girls) had made it to the finals after seeing off their opponents Makini School and Daima School 16-14 and 26-4 respectively.
As part of their victory, players from both winning teams walked away with smartphones and airtime courtesy of Safaricom M-PESA.
The two-day M-PESA Jr. NBA Nairobi Edition featured 550 players from 40 teams representing 24 schools across Nairobi. Beyond the on-court action, Safaricom integrated financial literacy sessions through M-PESA Go, equipping the young players with essential financial management skills.
“The Nairobi edition has been amazing, witnessing a huge number of players from walks all of life. As Safaricom through M-PESA, we are happy to be part of this initiative geared towards, supporting, nurturing and transforming lives of our young Kenyans. We are not only exposing their talents to the world but also educating and equipping them with essential financial management skills.” Commented Victor Odada, Head of M-PESA Payments at Safaricom.
Michael Finley, NBA Africa Kenya Country Lead, highlighted that they have made a strong start in the Nairobi region, with an impressive turnout.
“We aimed for 400 players, but the turnout exceeded expectations, with over 500 participants taking part in the tournament. The level of talent displayed over the past two days, despite some schools lacking proper basketball facilities, highlights the immense potential we have as a country. We want to continue empowering and supporting these young talents and help them grow their careers through basketball.” He noted.
Each player from the two winning teams walked away with a smart phone and airtime courtesy of Safaricom M-PESA. With Nairobi in the books, the M-PESA Jr. NBA tournament now heads to Mombasa on March 8th to 9th 2025, at Aga Khan Academy.
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