Dennis Oliech to scout for US football scholarships in Dagoretti

Former Harambee Stars captain Dennis Oliech.[Standard,file]

Former Harambee Stars captain Dennis Oliech has joined hands with Beyond Hoops, a non-governmental sports organization, to launch a talent search program for youths in Dagoretti, Nairobi.

The program, dubbed The Dare To Dream Festival 2023, will kick off on Saturday, October 21, 2023, at the Riruta Stadium.

The festival will feature five sports disciplines: football, basketball, freestyle football, eSports, and spoken word. The main attraction will be the selection of the Dagoretti All Star Teams for both boys and girls, who will compete in the Africa Connect International Trials Showcase in December. The showcase will offer an opportunity for the players to secure scholarships to study and play football in the USA.

Oliech, who hails from Dagoretti and has had a successful career in Europe and Africa, said he was happy to partner with Beyond Hoops Africa to help the youths achieve their dreams. “I made it from Dagoretti, and I will guide them and make sure they also get to play football in Europe and the USA,” he said.

Beyond Hoops CEO James Kamau said the Dare To Dream Festival 2023 aims to identify, nurture, inspire, and empower youths from all walks of life. “We want to change the lives of these young boys and girls from the Dagoretti area and plan to do it all across the country,” he said.

Beyond Hoops Organization is committed to training youths holistically to be responsible members of the community, develop fundamentally sound players, and prepare them physically, mentally, and emotionally to play to their fullest potential in Africa and abroad.