YEAR IN REVIEW: National squads, clubs and leagues to seek funding ahead of the 2018 season

AFC Leopards Gilbert Fiamenyo(R) and Harun Shakava of Gor Mahia hang for header during their Sportpesa Premier League match at Nyayo National Stadium on Sunday 07/05/17.PHOTO.BONIFACE OKENDO

Purses get slimmer as local teams usher in New Year without sponsor

There is a looming crisis in sport as State presses 35 per cent betting tax regime.

Barely a fortnight after Kenya won the 2017 Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup, the future of the national football team Harambee Stars and a host of sporting entities and individuals remains uncertain at the turn of the year.

The State functionaries led by President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto alongside a host of county leaders never wasted an opportunity to splash millions when Stars beat Zanzibar Heroes 3-2 on post-match penalties to end the four-year trophy drought on December 17.

On December 2, Fatuma ‘Iron Fist’ Zarika was the darling of the nation and ushered the Christmas spirit across Kenya when she floored Zambian challenger, Catherine Phiri, to retain the WBC Super bantamweight title in Nairobi.

“I did not expect to see so many people when I took to the ring. Phiri was a stubborn opponent and even when I was injured, I could not let go because I owed Kenyans victory,” Zarika said before winning by unanimous decision.

Turn the clock back to July, Gor Mahia FC, the most decorated club in Kenyan football history, were reeling from losing their domestic league title to arch rivals Tusker FC the previous season but a trip to Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania changed all that.

Chosen among the eight teams that vied for the inaugural SportPesa Super Cup, Gor who were between managers with the exit of Jose Marcelo ‘Ze Maria’ Ferreira and the arrival of Dylan Kerr romped into the final before dispatching their arch-rivals AFC Leopards SC 3-0 to lift the trophy and Sh3m prize money.

Their bigger reward was, however, getting the chance of playing against an English Premier League side, Everton FC, on July 13 in Dar-es-Salaam and despite losing 2-1, with none other than record England goal scorer, Wayne Rooney, getting the opener, Gor got the motivation to crown another successful season.

“The experience in Tanzania was a good stepping stone towards reclaiming the 16th KPL title and we won the trophy with four games to spare,” assistant head coach, Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno, who was in charge of the team when they won the Super Cup, underscored.

Kerr subsequently led Gor to their 16th crown, stretching their record to four above Leopards who also dusted themselves to lift the 2017 GOtv Shield Cup to give Kenyan football a familiar feel in the race for continental glory next season.

K’Ogalo will fly the flag in the CAF Champions League whilst Leopards will be on duty at the CAF Confederations Cup, the first time since 2014 the giants of Kenyan football will share the continental stage.

Also in July, another milestone in local football was marked when a Kenyan select side travelled to Spain to play against Spanish second division opposition, Cordoba CF and Sevilla Atletico with a training camp for the players most had never experienced before.

Two months earlier, 65 local football coaches converged in Nairobi for the third Arsenal FC Training Camp, optimistic of gaining invaluable lessons on the famous ‘The Arsenal Way’ that has been at the heart the 13-time English league and FA Cup champions’ success.

During the launch at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies, speakers lauded the initiative as Arsenal coaches led by Simon McManus, James Colinse and Imran Hamid (goal keeping) promised to build-on what was achieved in the previous camps as 15 goal-keeping coaches joined the training for the first time.

Having endured an underwhelming 2016/17 HSBC World Sevens Series seasons, national rugby 7s team, Shujaa started the current campaign with an encouraging performance in the opening legs of the Dubai 7s and Cape Town 7s, scooping 13 points, compared to the 62 they registered in the entire campaign last time out.

With another Rugby Sevens World Cup lined up for United States in mid-year, Shujaa launched their preparations way earlier than usual with a training camp in Nanyuki with injuries to Collins Injera and Dennis Ombachi in Dubai disrupting their charge in Cape Town.

Their 15s counterparts, Simbas, finished second to Namibia in the 2017 Africa Gold Cup and with 2019 Rugby World Cup qualification on the card next year, the team travelled for an invitational four-nation tournament in Hong Kong to face Russia, Chile and the hosts in one of the planned build-up events.

The exit of head coach, Jerome Paarwater notwithstanding, Kenya Rugby Union took the decision to make changes to the 2017/18 Kenya Cup to allow Simbas players more time to get ready for the 2018 Africa Gold Cup in their bid to win the elusive World Cup ticket.

Away from the glitz and glamour of the elite teams and sportspersons, the 2017 edition of the annual Koth Biro community football tournament had added spice this term when coaches from the famed Spanish top flight, La Liga, conducted football clinics with players from Umeme Bees FC and Opitos FC before their last-16 clash.

Few have ever heard of tournaments such Isambo Beach Carnival in Port Victoria, Bundalang'i, Obulala Cup in Busia or Omogi Cup in Nyando, Kisumu County but hundreds of players aiming to showcase their talent and stay away from biting poverty earned the chance to parade their best skills this year.

Like their Koth Biro counterparts, the Isambo, Obulala and Omogi teams were fully kitted and received proper equipment that saw entry numbers double.

These achievements had a common denominator- global betting firm SportPesa - which has now been forced to scale down their huge outlay in domestic sport following the court ruling on Thursday to uphold the 35 per cent tax to be imposed on all betting, lotteries and gaming activities.

SportPesa has confirmed withdrawal from the following entities; Gor, Leopards, Nakuru AllStars, the SportPesa Premier League (formerly Kenya Premier League, SportPesa Super 8 League, Kenya Harlequins, Kenya Rugby Union, Boxing Association of Kenya and Football Kenya Federation.

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