REWARD FOR THE BEST: FKF Nairobi West branch rewards its top performers

MP Kibra Constituency Ken Okoth (right) present a trophy to Chairman Silver Bullet FC Timothy Mbugua as the champions of the Nairobi Region League 2016 at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on tuesday. Jan 24, 2016. [PHOTO: JONAH ONYANGO/STANDARD]

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Nairobi West branch yesterday honoured its top performers in the 2016 leagues.

Among the teams awarded were Silver Bullets, who lifted the Nairobi Regional League, and South B All Stars, winners of the Nairobi County League.

Amani Yassets, who emerged champions of Nairobi Sub-County League, and Kibra Girls Soccer Academy, who lifted the Nairobi Women’s Championship, were also feted.

Silver Bullets won the Nairobi Regional League with 75 points after a good run in the hotly contested tournament. The feat saw them promoted to the FKF Division Two League this season.

Head coach Solomon Shikokoti and Chairman Timothy Mbugua said in order for them to replicate their good run this year, they were conducting trials at Gachie Primary School.

“We are looking to sign up players who will help us crack the Division Two League as we expect it to be highly competitive,” said Shikokoti.

Amani Yassets won the Nairobi Sub-County League with 52 points, earning them promotion to the Nairobi County League this year.

“Our aim is to beef up the squad with young players, especially those fresh from high school. Training is ongoing at Kinyanjui Technical in Dagoretti,” said team administrator Geoffrey Erambo.

South B All Stars emerged champions of the Nairobi County League with 61 points, a feat that will see them promoted to the Nairobi Regional League this year.

Team administrator Victor Ambula assured that no player would be dropped as they embark on rigorous training at CID grounds in South C this week.

Kibra MP Kenneth Okoth, who graced the award ceremony held at Nyayo Stadium yesterday, assured total support for Kibra-based teams under the branch.

“I will continue to utilise the Constituency Development Fund to pay the teams’ participation fees, buying kits and helping the branch to hire conducive playing grounds for the league. We have been doing this for the last three years,” Okoth said.

Referees and coaches under the branch also had reason to smile as Okoth pledged to continue paying for their refereeing and coaching courses.

However, he warned that the CDF would only pay for genuine courses that could help the coaches and referees get contracts regionally and continentally.

FKF Nairobi Branch chairman Hussein Bashir said they wanted to make it a tradition to reward the branch’s top performers to encourage teams to work hard in their respective tiers.

“Apart from the awards, we also had a branch stakeholders’ meeting, which we used to review the leagues and correct some of the mistakes we made last season. We hope to do better this year,” Bashir noted.