Kenya completed a memorable beach volleyball sweep on Thursday, winning both the Under-17 girls’ and boys’ gold medals on the final day of the 2026 Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) Zone Five Youth Games at Kenyatta University.
Kenya 1, comprising Eddah Jepkemei and Ann Akiro, claimed the girls’ title after coming from a set down to beat compatriots Kenya 2, represented by Esther Chesoli and Josephine Achieng, 2-1 (18-21, 21-14, 15-12) in a 50-minute final.
Kenya 1 had secured its place in the final after the two Kenyan teams reached the title decider on Wednesday, ensuring the hosts would take both gold and silver.
In the boys’ final, Emmanuel Kipkirui and Reagan Kipchirchir completed the double by overcoming Uganda’s Emmanuel James Oyena and Reagan Kimbowa 2-0 (21-14, 21-19).
The victory underlined Kenya’s dominance on the sand and gave the hosts a clean sweep of the two beach volleyball gold medals.
South Sudan’s Marial Makuer and Malval Mandut claimed the boys’ bronze after defeating Kenya 2’s Askenas Kipkorir and Collins Kipkosgei 2-0 (21-16, 21-17) in the third-place playoff.
South Sudan also won bronze in the girls’ competition, which featured only three teams.
Jepkemei, the Kenya 1 captain, attributed their comeback victory in the girls’ final to fighting spirit and improved communication.
“We lost the first set because of a lack of communication and lost a bit of hope, but we managed to improve on that, and you saw the difference in the next two sets, as we played as a team and fought for each other,” said Jepkemei, a Form Three student at AIC Kosirai Girls High School in Nandi County.
“This victory gives us confidence going into future competitions because we have learnt so much in this tournament,” she added.
Akiro said the championships provided valuable exposure and an opportunity to develop their game while interacting with athletes from across the region.
“It has been a wonderful three days, and I have made great friends and learnt about different cultures. I think my game will improve from all the lessons I have picked up, which I will carry with me in future competitions,” said Akiro, a Form Four student at Kwanthanze Girls Secondary School.
Kipkirui, the boys’ captain, said the tournament had given them valuable preparation for bigger international competitions.
“The Youth Olympic Games are just around the corner, and we hope this tournament has served as a proper warm-up for the global championships where the competition will be stiffer and will feature many players,” he said.
More than 300 young athletes from 11 countries competed in seven sports at the 2026 ANOCA Zone Five Youth Games, which returned to East Africa after a seven-year hiatus.
The Games brought together athletes from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Burundi, Eritrea, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt, competing in athletics, swimming, 3×3 basketball, judo, cycling, tennis and beach volleyball.
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