The long awaited Strathmore Law School (SLS) tournament beckoned all to the Strathmore Sports Ground, shaking off our industrious law students from the all suit and tie look into agile athletes. Though often seated behind desks with pen in hands, the kings of torts in the making, would battle it out all in bid for the best team title.

 

The tournament that had taken hours of practice and organization was set in motion, to create awareness for the new SLS Building under construction and to strengthen the Law school fraternity. Inevitably, one could tell of the cordial coordination traversing from the Law School Dean, Dr. Luis Franceschi, to the players and even to those who offered to feed the masses with confectionaries and some good old nyama choma.

 

The event drew eight in-house football teams; seven student teams and one staff team, and to grace the occasion were, Coulson Harney Advocates and Kaplan & Stratton Advocates law firms, in attendance.  The seven-a-side games meant that each team could only have seven players at a time.Teams were split into two groups; A and B at a random draw, with the top two teams from each group proceeding to the semi-finals where they would meet each other before the last two teams standing, square off in the final.

 

In group A, the winners were Coulson Harney Advocates while the second-placed team was the 2^nd year Advocates Class. Group B winners were Falseprudence – a team comprising of the 3^rd year pioneer class, and in second place was the 2^nd year Attorney’s class. Both teams in each group proceeded to the semi-finals.

 

The first semi-final match between, Attorneys versus Coulson Harney Advocates, was a tight game that ended in a highly riveting draw, leading to a penalty call. Both teams scored their first three penalties, but unluckily, the Attorney’s team missed in their fourth round leaving Colson Harney Advocates to secure the winning goal, progressing to the finals.

 

The second semi-final match was tougher, as the strapping young lads were at each other’s necks. Both teams clearly wanted to score, but none conceded a goal, culminating to penalty calls. The 2^nd year Advocates Class went on to win the shootout, beating the Falseprudence- 3^rd year class who would feel proud of the performance but sad in the manner they bowed out.

 

The final match between Coulson Harney Advocates and 2^nd year Advocates was highly stimulating with both teams playing spectacular football to the elation of the crowd. Both teams were relatively at par with each other, with penalty shoot-outs proving inevitable to determine the winner. Coulson Harney went on to convert all their penalties while the 2^nd year team missed theirs, granting Coulson Harney the championship award of the pilot SLS Cup Tournament. They had the tournament’s top scorer as well as the best player in Dennis Odida.

 

Off the pitch, the food stand was bustling with people enjoying the vast selection of food. There was everything; from delectable burgers, sweet cakes, scrumptious samosas, to ice cold thirst-quenching drinks- all at affordable prices. These were nothing short of essentially productive business ventures thought up by some of the very innovative minds of the law school.

 

The ladies followed the rejoinder in a catch-the-ball game, where they vigorously rose up to the merriment, sprinting across the field in a bid to secure a win for their teams. The 1^st year ladies’ team topped.

 

An absolute accomplishment; impeccable organization, dazzling display of football prowess, mouth-watering delicacies, an enthusiastic crowd and tantalizing tunes. For a pilot program, this one received star billing.