Partnerships: Youth to benefit from Mombasa County and Sweden programmes

MOMBASA STADIUM-CONSTRUCTION-JOHO INSPECTS SITE; Mombasa County Governor Hassan Joho(middle) , flanked by among others the County Chief Officer for Youths, Gender and Sports Rajab Babu (2nd left) and the General Manager of Bakar Agencies Noor Abdi (3rd right) views the map of the the construction of the County Stadium at Tononoka in Mombasa County on Wednesday,08th June,2016. The Stadium expected to be funded by the County Government at a cost of Multi Millions Shillings will increase the sitting capacity from 9,000 to 30,000 people and expected to complete by end of this year.PHOTO BY MAARUFU MOHAMED/STANDARD

Talented and youthful footballers in Mombasa stand to gain after the county signed a three-year partnership programme with Vasternorrland city of Sweden for sports exchange programmes.

Rajab Babu, the chief executive officer, Department of Youth, Gender and Sports in Mombasa, said officials from the Swedish city will be in Mombasa on October 2 to officially launch the programme to be undertaken at the newly opened Uwanja wa Mbuzi Stadium in Kongowea, Nyali constituency.

“We visited Vasternorrland city in Sweden from March 23-28 this year where we held lengthy discussions with several sports clubs, including Stororingen to get first-hand information on how to run youth programmes,” said Babu.

In the partnership, Babu said Mombasa County will be sending Under 18 footballers for trials with Swedish clubs, among other programmes.

Stakeholders' meeting

“The Swedish clubs in Vasternorrland city have agreed to train our coaches and beach football referees. We shall start with training of 30 coaches and beach football referees,” added Babu.

Babu spoke at Tononoka Social Hall during a football stakeholders' meeting attended by Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho and his running mate, William Kingi, and Bandari board member Salim Sumra.

Babu, a Brazilian trained coach and national beach tactician, said under 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 teams would benefit from the twin-partnership. [Ernest Ndunda]