Taita Taveta County has sent a 50-member youthful boys’ and girls’ football teams to the maiden Coast regional Talanta Hela Football Tournament to be held at Shanzu Teachers’ Training College.
“Talent among our youths is a valuable opportunity we can explore to give our younger generation a future of hope, progress, and when their time comes, to make meaningful contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of society,” said Governor Andrew Mwadime.
The governor who was speaking at Voi Boys High School when he flagged off the teams reiterated his unreserved support for sports and in partnership with the national government.
He promised to uplift the county’s standards of sports through investment in infrastructure and the establishment of a framework to scout and prop talents to national and global success.
”The good thing is that the county government in partnership with the national government is working on a framework to identify and support sports talents and ensure our young people can earn a living through their talents,” said Mwadime.
Making his remarks, County Executive Committee Member in charge of Youth, Sports, Gender, and Culture Mr. Shedrack Mutungi underscored the need to identify sporting talent right from primary and secondary schools and ensure the laying of proper foundations to nurture such talents.
Mutungi added that his department was working with all institutions of learning throughout the county to establish a system to identify, recognize, and support talent and set the youth on a path of success by tapping into their God-given talents.
“We’re working with all institutions of learning in the county to support sports talents through a system that scouts, recognizes, and supports sports talents with a vision to set our youth on a path of success through their natural abilities in a range of sports,” said Mutungi.
The county team is heading to begin a one-week training camp in Mombasa in preparation for the tournament that will bring together all the six coastal counties to compete in both boys’ and girls’ football matches from where the overall two winners will proceed for the national Talanta Hela Tournament final to be held at Kasarani Stadium in December later this year.
By Arnold Linga Masila
