The second edition of the football tournament organised and sponsored by the Kwale based Australian mining firm Base Titanium has ended in fanfare in Msambweni Sub County.
The company located in Msambweni sub county of Kwale, simply known as Base, produces ilmenite, rutile and zircon which are all considered critical minerals.
The tournament came to a close with Wayzata FC crowned as the champions after beating their host Fihoni FC 5-0 at the Zigira primary school sports ground.
Wayzata FC from Gazi location of Msambweni was also the winners in the first edition of the tournament after scoring 4-0 against their archrival Fihoni FC.
The event is also designed to productively engage the youth and steer them away from crime, drug and substance abuse and other social vices.
The winner of the competition took home a trophy, players jerseys and a cash prize of Sh 200, 000, and football kits while the runners up received Sh 100, 000, a set of jerseys and footballs.
The sporting event featuring 32 teams came to a thrilling conclusion amid cheers and fanfare, featuring gleaming cultural displays, singing and dancing from spectators to signal the end of the tournament.
The scintillating football tournament, a brainchild of the mining firm and among other things seeks at raising awareness on the adverse effects of drugs and substance abuse among youths.
The 10-day tournament in which local teams salivated for the hefty cash prizes and trophies is aimed to unearth football talent and promote the sports at the grassroots level.
Base Titanium General Manager for External Affairs Simon Wall says the tournament is a testament by the mining company’s commitment towards promoting local sports.
“We recognise the impact sports have in bringing people together and providing a platform for the youth to showcase their skills. We understand that young people need opportunities to display their talent and for this to happen we need to have more of these tournaments,” said Wall.
Wall says the tournament is aimed at equipping the youngsters with core values, knowledge and skills needed to realise their full potential as footballers of the next generation
Msambweni MP Feisal Bader who was the chief guest at the closing ceremony commended Base Titanium for organising the tournament.
Bader placed great emphasis on such programmes saying it was through such events that future football talents were harnessed from the lowest level to the highest level.
He said he was happy the sporting programme had started from his constituency to promote football at the basic level, further asking the mining firm to expand the local league to the other parts of the coastal county so that football talents could be unearthed across the region.
“This sporting championship is very crucial and should be encouraged because it can produce a lot of talents and players for the higher levels,” he said.
Bader said the tournament provides an opportunity for the local youth to showcase their football talents in a professional manner.
“It takes discipline and commitment to be a sportsman and once you begin nurturing your talent you can make a professional career out of it,” he said.
According to the legislator, drug addiction and abuse has been a general concern in the area and that as leaders they are genuinely disturbed hence the need for such events.
By Hussein Abdullahi
