As Kenyan Universities Games starts this morning at Moi and University of Eldoret respectively, defending champions Kenyatta University must brace for tough work as they seek to retain the overall title.

The games are promising to be tough owing to the fact that the institutions of higher learning are also known to be the breeding grounds for talents in the region.

Some of them have produced top sportsmen and women in the outdoor and indoor games.

More so, they are known to be breeders in rugby, basketball, hockey and volleyball but their participation in football and handball cannot as well be wished away.

A total of 22 institutions have confirmed participation and Kenya Universities Sports Federation (KUSF) Secretary General Joan Adalo said they are equally ready for serious business after many days of trying to make the games a reality.

“It hasn’t been easy to make this happen, but we have done it through many processes and ready to proceed on with all institutions who confirmed coming to Eldoret by yesterday,” she told Standard Sports.

Both private and public universities are in Eldoret for the games.

Adalo, who’s an expert in martial arts and works at Maseno University, said they’ll be out to defend their karate and Tae-Kwon-Do titles at the national games.

“These are titles we won in the last national games and are focused on retaining them, while also seeking to snatch more titles from other competitors,” said Adalo.

Both Moi and UOE will co-host the event that initially had been set for Dedan Kimathi University in Nyeri.