By Shadrack Nyakoe
All is set for the fourth edition of the 2024 BingwaFest set for Thursday 19th December to Sunday 22nd December at the Eldoret Sports Club for the Rift Valley Edition.
Similar to the three other editions held earlier in the year in Western, Nyanza, and Eastern, the Rift Valley edition will see competition across athletics, 3×3 basketball, football, and rugby.
This edition will see more than 3200 sportsmen and women compete across different disciplines during the four-day sports extravaganza, with up to KSh17 million in cash prizes up for grabs by individuals and teams.
Athletics will take centre stage on Thursday 19th December at the Moi University Chepkoilel Eldoret before paving way for action from the other disciplines that will culminate with the finals on Sunday at the Eldoret Sports Club.
The multisport extravaganza kicked off with the Western Region edition held in Mumias in August before moving to Kisumu in September for the Nyanza Edition, followed by the Eastern Region chapter in October at Machakos.
This weekend’s event will be the second time the multi-disciplinary extravaganza will be held at Eldoret, having hosted the inaugural BingwaFest edition in December last year.
Winners of the initial tournament in football, GFE 105 FC, have been enjoying continued support from tournament sponsors Betika, including tripling the initial financial support to Ksh 3 million in September to aid in their quest for promotion to the second tier of Kenyan football, the National Super League.
Speaking ahead of the four-day extravaganza, Betika Group CEO Mutua Mutava said: “We are thrilled to bring the excitement of BingwaFest back to Eldoret for the Rift Valley edition. This is a region that plays a huge role in Kenya’s sports, more so in athletics, and we are humbled to get the chance to experience all that greatness this weekend.”
“This event is a testament to our commitment to nurturing young talent across Kenya. We believe in the power of sports to transform lives and build communities, and thanks to Betika na Community initiative we have such a platform to witness and appreciate true talents.” He added.
Betika continues to play a key role in promoting and growing sports in the country and recently partnered with Athletics Kenya to the tune of Ksh 15 million for the 2024/25 Athletics Kenya Series, covering the Cross-Country series and the 2024/25 Track and Field Series events.