NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 21 – The Mountain Edition finals of the 2024/25 Betika BingwaFest will take place this weekend, from Friday, January 24 to Sunday, January 26, at Kinoru Stadium in Meru.
More than 5,000 athletes are set to compete across athletics, 3×3 basketball, football, and rugby, with up to Ksh 17 million in cash prizes available for individuals and teams during the three-day sports event.
Winners in the football and rugby disciplines for both men and women will pocket Ksh 1 million each, while the winning teams in the 3×3 basketball will go home Ksh 500,000 richer.
The Mountain Edition will be the fifth stop for the multi-disciplinary event which kicked-off with the Western Region edition held in Mumias in August last year before moving to Kisumu in September for the Nyanza Edition, followed by the Eastern Region chapter in October at Machakos, and the Rift Valley edition at Eldoret in December to wrap action in 2024.
Football action kicked off with the preliminary matches on Monday 20th January and will be played through to Thursday at the Meru Teachers College, the Meru Polytechnic, MCK Kaaga, Kaaga Girls High School, and the ASK Showground before moving to Kinoru Stadium for the semifinals and the finals.
Athletes will take to the track at Kinoru Stadium on Friday, January 24th, with the 10,000 m race anticipated to draw the biggest participation thanks to the KES 300,000 prize money for the winner.
Speaking ahead of the three-day sports extravaganza, Betika’s PR Manager Katherine Arudo said: “We are excited to be in Meru this week for the Mountain Edition of BingwaFest. This will be our fifth stop and promises to be just as exciting as the previous editions, if not more.”
“The talent on display last year during the Meru Football Challenge was impressive, and we call upon sportsmen and women in other disciplines to come out in large numbers and showcase their talent throughout the week.”
“The 2024/25 BingwaFest series will culminate with the national championships, where the winners from all the legs will face off, in what will be a showcase of the best talents from across the country,” she added.
In 2024, Betika through the Betika na Community initiative conducted a month-long football tournament dubbed ‘Meru Football Challenge Tournament’ where Mitunguu United and Kibirichia Starlets emerged champions after winning the Men’s and Women’s finals, respectively.
