Eyes on the ball as Eldoret Polytechnic hosts amputee football trials

A member of the Kenya Amputee Football team at City Stadium.[Courtesy]

The Eldoret National Polytechnic is ready to host the Kenya Amputee Football Federation trials.

The institution’s football pitch was picked as the venue for the amputee football clash from July 27-30, and at least 14 counties are set to battle for honours in the upcoming event.

Amputee footballers from Uasin Gishu, Bungoma, Kakamega, Trans Nzoia, Kisumu, Nakuru, Siaya, Bomet, Nairobi, Narok, Mombasa, Kiambu and Machakos are expected to participate in the national tournament.

The pitch, which will host the trials, had also been selected as a training ground if Kenya’s joint bid with other East African countries to host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) succeeds.

Yesterday, the Eldoret National Polytechnic football pitch was getting ready for the national event.

The grounds have been hosting college ball games while acting as a training ground for the institution’s rugby and football teams.

The Eldoret National Polytechnic Chief Principal Charles Koech said minimal adjustments have been made to make the sports facilities ready for the football showdown.

“We pride in our top-notch pavilion and well-maintained pitch which has successfully hosted football and rugby matches over the years,” Koech said.

“We are working with Uasin Gishu County administration to host a successful amputee football training as we await to host African stars to train on our grounds, if the Afcon bid goes through.”

Koech said following the identification as a possible Afcon training pitch, the Eldoret Polytechnic grounds are set for a major upgrade, which will see the construction of another football field.

“Sports Kenya did an inspection recently and we have given them our master-plan for the upgrading of our sporting facility. We are hopeful of having another pitch on one side of our grounds. We are proud that we have been identified to host not only amputee football, but to support Kipchoge Keino as a major training ground,” Koech said.

An upgrade of the institution’s track to host athletics training ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games is also underway.

“In our endeavor to grow sports, we have always offered our pitch for use by youth in Eldoret and other places,” he added.

The Eldoret National Polytechnic Sports Officer Musa Kibet said not many preparations will be done on the pitch ahead of July 27 since the institutions had maintained it for use by college teams.

“This is the pitch that has produced most players for Eldoret RFC, University of Eldoret RFC and Kitale RFC. We also sent seven of our athletes to the recent national championships,” Kibet told Standard Sport.