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  • Falcons defy expectations and shine at Kabeberi 7s

    Falcons defy expectations and shine at Kabeberi 7s

    By Ken Andrew

    kenakikenyi@gmail.com

    The Daystar Falcons rugby team managed to impress many at the Kabeberi 7s despite bowing out in the 5th place semi final. The Falcons began their journey with a loss against Kenya Cup side Top Fry Nakuru but that did not set the tone for the day. They managed to win their next two games 12-5 and 12-24 against the famous Impala Saracens and Northern Suburbs respectively.  The two wins put them through to the main cup quarterfinal where they met Kenya Cup perennial contenders Homeboyz Rugby. Homeboyz proved to be a handful for the Falcons as they took the game 34-7 sending the Falcons to the 5th place playoff. Sunday was most definitely not their day as after the quarterfinal, they narrowly lost to Masinde Muliro University 17 -12, bringing their run in the Kabeberi 7s to an end.

    Despite their unlucky end to the tournament, many were impressed by the Falcons’ performances. With a lighter squad than the 15s, the selected team managed to hold their own against multiple Kenya Cup teams. Debutant Patrick Odongo shone and managed to be the top try scorer after playing all five games.  Without doubt, he still has a lot more to give as the Falcons head into the Christie 7s next weekend.

    The Falcons selected to represent Daystar at the Kabeberi 7s.
    Photo Courtesy: instagram/dufalconsrugby

    Coach Caleb Bosire was proud of his squad and saw the experience gained as vital for their 7s season progression.  He also praised Patrick Odongo for his stellar performances on the pitch.

    The Falcons head back to the RFUEA grounds on 28th and 29th May for the Christie 7s. Having secured a first quarterfinal tie since 2013, they will be looking to improve and maybe make the semis. The experience they gain from 7s will be crucial as they head to the KRU Championship next season.

    Bring on the Christie 7s!

  • VERSTAPPEN WINS THE IMOLA GRAND PRIX AS HAMILTON FACES A NIGHTMARE IN HIS CAREER

    VERSTAPPEN WINS THE IMOLA GRAND PRIX AS HAMILTON FACES A NIGHTMARE IN HIS CAREER

    By Joy Miano
    Joymiano18033@daystar.ac.ke
    The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, often referred to as Imola Grand Prix, in Italy, is usually one of the most emotional races in the Formula 1 season. Max Verstappen won his second Grand Prix of the season with the fastest lap, ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez.  Lando Norris came in third to ensure McLaren fill the last podium position with his first podium of the year. The season leader, Charles Leclerc, slipped down to position six after spinning into the barriers. Unfortunately, his teammate Carlos Sainz was out in the first lap. This was a repeat of the Australian Grand Prix, after being spun into the gravel trap by Daniel Ricciardo’s Mclaren.

    Max Verstappen won his second Grand Prix in Italy.
    Photo courtesy ; instagram.com/f1

    George Russell had a better race than his teammate Lewis Hamilton, who had a very miserable day and finished position 13. He was embarrassingly lapped by Verstappen during the closing stages of the race. Lewis is more likely to lose a chance to battle with the top drivers for the Driver’s championship this year. It was a sad day for the Tifosi (Scuderia Ferrari fans) and the seven time world champion Hamilton fans. On the other hand, a great day for Redbull with Verstappen on pole on Friday ,won the sprint on Saturday and a double podium.
    Formula 1 returns in a fortnight in the United States with the much awaited Miami Grand Prix .

  • BLACK ROSE

    BLACK ROSE

    [Photo courtesy of Tinted Black Roses]

     

    By Abdul Shaban

    [abdoolmtyro@gmail.com]

     

    Even at my darkest I still bloom,
    At my lowest at my doom.

    A lilly from the valleys,
    A lone soul without allies.

    I watch my shadow with delight,
    Staring down from the height.

    With happiness my face ignites,
    Am not a bunch, not a bonquette.

    Staring at what’s behind the wall,
    Cuz I’ve been there I’ve seen it all.

    A black rose that blooms on earth,
    In a planet where am unheard.

    Humming the melodies of the birds,
    Making my way to unknown lands.

    Inhaling the tender grapes with good smell,
    For a soul that’s walked straight outta hell, yet sees the best in it all.

    Like a dove that art in cleft of rocks,
    Like a flightless bird whose wing just broke.

    For so long I hid behind the stairs,
    But now I rise with answered prayers.

    A black rose I still bloom,
    At my lowest at my doom.

  • LIVERPOOL MANAGE TO SECURE A DRAW AGAINST CITY KEEPING TITLE HOPES ALIVE

    By Benjamin Wanguba

    Benjamin.wanguba@gmail.com

    Andy Robertson and Rodri after the game. Photo Courtesy: Manchester City official Instagram page

    A 46th minute equalizer from Senegalese star Sadio Mane, was enough to ensure Liverpool get a point against League leaders Manchester City.

    The tie which was highly contested was a high-octane affair that saw Liverpool come from behind twice at the Etihad. Kevin De Bruyne opened the scoring in the fifth minute with his strike deflecting off Joel Matip to find its way to the back of the net. Soon after a strike from in form Diogo Jota would bring Liverpool at par with the league leaders once again. Liverpool almost went ahead in the 23rd minute when City Goalkeeper Ederson slipped missing the ball which almost went into his own net before quickly ushering it away. Gabriel Jesus would then reinstate City’s lead in the 36th minute with the match heading to half time with a 2-1 score.

    Sadio Mane would then score the equalizer early in the second half. In the 63rd minute, Sterling thought he had won the tie for city when he calmly slid the ball under Allison but it would later emerge after a VAR check that he was offside when he received the brilliant pass from De Bruyne.  Both teams continued at each other but the game would result in a stalemate. The draw means that Manchester City remain at 1st although just 1 point ahead of Liverpool in 2nd. This ensures that the title race still remains hot with both teams eager to lift the trophy once again. Of the remaining fixtures, Liverpool has the harder challenge as they will have to face Manchester united, Tottenham and Wolves who are all embroiled in a fight for a top 4 slot.  Manchester city’s toughest upcoming opposition on the other hand is West Ham with them being expected to breeze over their other opponents. This means that the title race could even go up to the last day.

    Liverpool and Manchester city will clash again on Saturday 16th April when they meet in the semi finals of the FA cup. The winner of that match will meet in the finals with whoever wins between Chelsea and Crystal palace.

  • MANCHESTER UNITED AND ARSENAL DROP POINTS IN RACE FOR TOP 4

    By Benjamin Wanguba

    Benjamin.wanguba@gmail.com

    Anthony Gordon and Alex Iwobi Celebrate goal against Manchester United.(Image : Everton FC)

    Over the weekend, both Manchester United and Arsenal suffered blows in the fight to finish in the top 4. Manchester United suffered a 1-0 loss to relegation threatened Everton whilst Arsenal lost 2-1 at the hands of Brighton.

    Both teams are engaged in a stiff competition on who gets to be a part of the top 4. The Arsenal defeat came at a time when many arsenal fans were hopeful that they were on the rise. The loss follows a prior shock defeat to Crystal Palace where the Eagles won 3-0 against the Gunners. In recent weeks they have also dropped points against Liverpool as well. The Gunners now sit in 5th place with 54 points although they have played one game less than 4th placed Tottenham. Although the loss was detrimental to their chances of a Champions League spot they could still stand a chance if they regain the form they had picked up in the second half of the season. Their remaining fixtures are tough as they have to face off against fellow top 4 contenders, Manchester United, Tottenham, 3rd placed Chelsea and West Ham. They also will face off against Everton who are currently fighting to avoid relegation by any means possible. This was seen in their weekend 1-0 win over Manchester United.

    An Anthony Gordon strike was enough to secure a win for the Toffees. The win came as a surprise as Everton have been struggling to pick up wins and are even engaged in a relegation battle. They had even lost their last 2 league engagements against West Ham and Burnley. The win now puts them at 17th place, 4 points above 18th placed Burnley, offering them some breathing space. United on the other hand have to up their game or else find themselves competing in the Europa League next season. In moment of frustration after the game, star man Cristiano Ronaldo knocked the phone of a fan to the ground while walking towards the tunnel proving just how much this loss meant to him and the team.

    Meanwhile Tottenham won convincingly against Steven Gerard’s Aston villa 4-0. Heung Min Son’s hattrick and a goal from January signing Dejan Kulusevski ensured that Tottenham land at the 4th spot for the time being. West ham is also in the fight for that Champions League spot but also dropped 3 vital points over the weekend against Brentford.

     

  • FIJI WINS THE SINGAPORE 7S AS KENYA FINISH IN 11TH PLACE

    By Benjamin Wanguba

    Benjamin.wanguba@gmail.com

    On Sunday 10th of April, Fiji defeated New Zealand  28-17 to emerge as winners of the Singapore 7s. By half time, Fiji had managed a 21-0 lead with Vuiviawa Naduvalo, Waisea Nacuqu and Joseva Talacolo converting tries that would give them the lead.

    In the second half New Zealand would be able to reduce the difference but a second try for Vuiviawa Naduvalo would be enough to secure a win for Fiji in the finals. The win was Fiji’s first series win since winning in Sydney, Australia in February of 2020.

    To get to the final, Fiji won their group matches against France and Japan after losing their first game to Ireland. They then beat series leaders South Africa in the quarter finals before winning in the Semis against Australia. South Africa have so far managed to win in Dubai, Seville and Malaga and will be looking to come back on top in Vancouver next weekend.

    Shujaa in Action at the Singapore 7s. COURTESY: World Rugby Sevens Official Twitter Account

    Meanwhile Kenya’s Shujaas finished in 11th at the just concluded Singapore 7s. They started by losing both their opening matches in the group stage. They lost 12-10 to USA and 26-5 to South Africa. They would then bounce back by winning their 3rd group match by convincingly beating Canada 24-7. Shujaa then went ahead to beat Japan 12-10 in the quarter final for the 9th place play-off. They would however loose to Spain 19-10 in that match. Spain managed to be 19-0 up by half time. The boys tried their best to salvage the situation in the second half but only managed to get 10 points with tries from Billy Odhiambo and Kelvin Wekesa.

    Shujaa will however be hoping to have a better performance in Vancouver next weekend after only picking 5 points in Singapore.

     

     

     

  • Charles Leclerc Dominates The Australian Grand Prix

    Charles Leclerc Dominates The Australian Grand Prix

    By Joy Miano

    Joymiano180333@daystar.ac.ke

    Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc effortlessly won the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne as he led from lights out to the chequered flag. Aside from that, he set the time for the fastest lap and he is the only driver who has been on podium for every race this season . Sergio Perez finished second, 20 seconds behind the winner with George Russell taking the final podium place.

    Charles Leclerc won the Australian Grand Prix
    Photo Courtesy: F1 Official Instagram page

    Redbull’s Max Verstappen pulled over to the side of the track with an engine issue on lap 39/58 leaving the race leader with no competition. This is his second Did Not Finish (DNF) since the season began. Carlos Sainz, the other Ferrari driver, having qualified in ninth place after a tough qualifying session,opted to use hard tyres which cost him five places then later  retired as his car spun on lap 2 into the gravel at the exit of turn ten. Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel made his return to the grid this season but his race was brought to an abrupt end with a disappointing crash on lap 23. The German missed the opening two races of the season in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia after testing positive for Covid-19.

    Alex Albon had an amazing drive as he pitted on the final lap having done the whole race on hard tyres. He took the final point after stating from last.

    Results leave Mercedes having taken the most points from Melbourne and Ferrari still in the Lead of the constuctors standings. The next race is on 24th April at the Imola circuit for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

  • Daystar Falcons Promoted into the KRU Championship

    Daystar Falcons Promoted into the KRU Championship

    [Photo courtesy of Daystar falcons Rugby Team]

     

    By Ken Andrew

    kenakikenyi@gmail.com

    The Daystar Rugby Falcons finally won promotion into the KRU Championship after a 22-o shutout of Mombasa RFC in their national semi final. Mombasa RFC, who are the Coastal champions, found it very hard to score against the determined Falcons. The determination most likely emanated from last year’s semi final loss to Shamas which denied them promotion.

    Coming into the match, the Falcons had gone through a tough Bungoma RFC in what seemed like their hardest match of the season, thus had to train hard for Mombasa as many expected much of the same from them.  There was tangible anxiety and intensity amongst the fans as the match began. At the end of the first half, the Falcons led 11-0 after the captain John Oliele put away a penalty and dropgoal. His points were supplemented by a try from Eric Miheso to close out the first half.

    In the second half,  John Oliele put away another penalty and dropgoal before Joshua Ngomeli scored the final try to close out the game. The Falcons will now face Zetech in the final with both team already qualified for the championship.

    The championship is the second tier in the KRU League set up and it consists of twelve teams.  The Falcons will now be a step closer to the top tier which is the Kenya Cup.

  • Zone 2 FC Win the inaugural Daystar City Tournament

    The poster for the Inaugural Daystar City Tournament.
    photo courtesy : @daystarcitycf on Instagram

    The Inaugural Daystar City tournament was successfully staged at Public Service Club on Saturday 9th of April through the office of outgoing Campus Secretary Nairobi, Brian Achoka. The tournament, which aims to create funds to support players through their studies in Daystar saw twenty teams register to play.

    The teams were pooled into two groups, A and B, with each team playing four matches. The opening match of the tournament was an exciting one as Kifo Cha Mende FC took on Makwapa Machafu FC. It set the tone for the rest of the day as the level of intensity of the match was very high even though it ended in a draw.

    The tournament had a couple of teams from both Daystar City and Daystar Falcons namely Pioneer, Corinthians, Kifo Cha Mende, Makwapa Machafu, Game of Stones and City Legends. Only Makwapa Machafu advanced to the quarterfinals from the six teams, just showing how tough the registered teams were.

    In the quarters, favourites Interdjinamory cruised past Medellin as Zone 2 managed to edge Foreign 9 on penalties. CPF managed to get past Badboys FC while Makwapa Machafu also edged Outlook FC on penalties setting up a semi final tie against Zone 2. The other semi final saw CPF meet Interdjinamory where the latter managed to ease past the former with two goals in regular time. Zone 2 beat Makwapa Machafu on penalties with Daystar student Marvin Kowero getting the winning penalty. Makwapa Machafu lost out 2-0 in the third place play-off to CPF meaning they finished fourth.

    The final saw Zone 2 defeat Interdjinamory 1- 0 to see them crowned the first ever winners of the Daystar City tournament. They took home fifteen thousand Kenyan Shillings and a trophy from the tournament sponsors AA.

  • Volkanovski, Sterling win big at UFC 273

    Volkanovski, Sterling win big at UFC 273

    By Ken Andrew

    kenakikenyi@gmail.com

    Volkanovski lands a punch on The Korean Zombie during their UFC 273 bout
    Photo courtesy : UFC KOREA instagram page

    Reigning UFC featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski defended his title in a one sided battle against the Korean Zombie. Volkanovski, who looked faster than ever on the feet, managed to win after a round four stoppage by the referee. Many at the arena seemed to back the Korean Zombie but it was not to be his day as Volkanovski put on a clinic. The win became Volkanovski’s third title defence and with the shape he was in, he seems to have more defences to come.

    The co-main event saw Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling renew their rivalry. The two had met at UFC 259 in a fight which ended controversially after an illegal strike by Yan. Though Yan was very dominant in the first fight, things were different this time as Aljo showed heart and managed to completely dominate two rounds.  Aljo used his wrestling and grappling skills to ensure he got the win. Without any controversy in the fight, the win means that Aljo is the undisputed UFC Bantamweight champion.

    Gilbert Burns and Khamzat Chimaev put up an instant classic in the fight before the co-main event. Many had wondered how lowly Chimaev would do against the number two ranked burns and he surely held his own. Both fighters landed punches that dropped the other and showed heart to go the distance in what was the fight of the night. at the end, Chimaev won the bout by unanimous decision but that takes nothing away from Burns’ perfromance.  The fight could probably even win fight of the year!

    With the upsets and shocks experienced at UFC 273, it becomes one of the best events of the year thus far.