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The Nairobian

National academy to build stronger sporting nation

Football

By Elizabeth Mburugu | Dec 31, 2018

Talanta well performed this year from l-r Emmanuel Mogaka as most valuable player, Michael Muya as most Disciplined player and Roggers Omondi as top scorer in the ending 2018. This was during a luncheon organized by their sponsor Communication Authority of Kenya at a Nairobi Hotel. ON 30/11/2018(Jenipher Wachie, Standard)

As 2019 begins, the Kenya Academy of Sports (KAS) will be working round the clock in a quest to make Kenya a great sporting nation.

The national academy, which is mandated to establish and manage sports academies in the country, has 2019 all planned out.

Top on the list is to host age-group training sessions in different sports disciplines.

This will be a follow-up on the 2018 holiday camps that were held at Kasarani Stadium, Public Service Club and City Park.

According to KAS Director of Talent Development and Capacity Building Douglas Ratemo, the camps were very successful and they are looking to have more training sessions from April.

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“We held two separate holiday camps for Under-15 and 18 boys and girls and the talents displayed by the youngsters were very encouraging,” Ratemo said.

In December, 60 boys from different parts of the country aged below 18 years underwent training where they improved their basic football skills.

Ali Said from Mombasa was one of the participants who said the training programme helped him learn more and improve.

“I return home a better player. I have learnt new skills and I look forward to putting them into practice because I want to improve and if possible, play for the national team in future,” Said said.

Football had the Under-13 and 15 boys where 30 were trained in each category.

Future volleyball girls stars were not left behind with 20 aged between 13 and 16 years taking part.

With the likes of Kenya internationals Gaudencia Makokha and Naomi Too having gone through the academy when it was known as the National Youth Talent Academy, KAS is looking at making more stars.

“Our girls’ under-20 volleyball team performed dismally in the World qualifiers and we had to take action and prepare a team for the future. We intend to keep these girls together and hopefully, with time, they will be a force to reckon with,” Ratemo added.

Having featured for their respective primary schools, they got an opportunity to gain firsthand experience of playing on an indoor court at Kasarani.

The academy also held a camp for Under-15s in basketball, hockey, tennis and baseball, where over 100 children were trained.

“We want to prepare them for future senior level engagements; both locally and internationally,” he said.

A residential camp for Under-20 boys’ football and girls’ volleyball teams is also lined up.

The academy also manages National Super League side Talanta FC and have partnered with Communications Authority (CA) of Kenya who are the team’s main sponsors.