Siaya Skating Club championing social change through inclusivity

The Siaya Skating Club Team beaming after landing the Nyanza Region Tujiamini Gold Award. [Washington Onyango,Standard]

The Siaya Skating Club in Kenya, founded just three years ago, is making waves in the sports community after securing the prestigious Tujiamini Gold Award, which comes with a Sh500,000 prize.

The club, led by Founder and Director Dorcas Awuor, has been breaking down barriers and demystifying skating as an exclusive, high-end sport by introducing it to children in rural Siaya County.

"Skating is often perceived as a high-end sport, not usually found in the rural areas. I am glad our efforts are bearing fruit in building a fun and competitive sporting culture for children who would otherwise have had no chance or opportunity to enjoy the sport in this region," said Awuor.

The club, now home to over 85 children aged between three and fifteen, faces challenges common to many community-based sports initiatives, such as limited sponsorship and resources.

Founder and Director of the Siaya Skating Club of Kenya, Dorcas Awuor, poses with the prize winners of the Tujiamini Gold Award. [Washington Onyango,Standard]

These limitations have hindered the growth of young talent and restricted their participation in invitational competitions. However, despite these obstacles, the Siaya Skating Club has shown resilience, competing in both national and international events.

The most recent of these was a national competition in Nakuru, where the club earned an impressive runner-up position.

Awuor expressed gratitude for the Tujiamini Award, saying, "This award will enable us to acquire necessary training and safety kits for the children. We foresee a life-changing impact on the children, helping us participate in more competitions while reducing the strain on resources to meet our immediate needs."

The award was presented by SportPesa representative Deborah Maina in Bondo, Siaya, who praised the club's dedication to nurturing young talent.

"We recognize that there are many community sports clubs growing and nurturing talent in diverse disciplines, yet they often don't get the limelight. Our objective is to encourage and reward such clubs to continue positively impacting lives through sports," said Maina.

Dorcas Awuor of the Siaya Skating Club of Kenya receives the cheque from SportPesa Rep Deborah Chepkirui. [Washington Onyango,Standard]

The Tujiamini initiative, which aims to elevate and grow talent across the country, will now shift focus to the South Rift region.

The program seeks to support community-based clubs in various sporting disciplines, giving them the opportunity to develop talent and foster positive change through sports.

Through this funding and recognition, the Siaya Skating Club hopes to continue its mission of making skating an inclusive sport, providing opportunities for rural children to grow both athletically and socially.