The county government in collaboration with the coca cola company sponsored a three days football tournament held in Lodwar that camev to a close last Wednesday.
The event sponsored to the tune of sh 2.1 million saw Loima Sub County emerge victorious after beating Turkana central sub county team in the finals during a post-match penalties.
The game had to head for penalties after the thrilling encounter that ended in a barren draw before Loima converted four of the five penalties they were awarded.
The winners took won a trophy and shs. 90,000 cash award.
The second team also won a trophy and shs 60,000 cash award.
The third position went to Turkana north who beat Turkana south and were awarded a trophy and shs 30,000 cash award. Turkana North beat Turkana south 5:4 in post-match penalties after the match ended in a 1:1.
The inter sub county tourney brought together the seven sub counties who competed in the three days event.
Coca Cola Company promised to hold a similar tournament next year and heeded to calls by the county executive committee member for sport Patrick Losike and members of the county football Kenya federation to start the event from ward levels.
The company also agreed to include Turkana county in the under 16 Copa Coca Cola tournament.
In a speech read by the company commercial manager Joel Kibowon, coca cola CEO Joyce Macharia underscored the role of sports in the overall growth of the youth and promised to continue supporting the event in future.
“We recognize the vital role that sports plays in the overall growth of our youth by imparting discipline and focus among the youth, we encourage the youth to continue with this positive culture,” said Macharia.
The CEC for sports Losike said the county government would also allocate more resources to the sports docket to identify and nurture talent.
“We will also continue to seek more support from other partners and the county assembly,” said Losike.
Meanwhile, Turkana Governor Josphat Nanok has directed the county executive to review tasked company that has delayed the construction of sports complex.
He has called on the County Executive for Education, Sports and Social Protection Patrick Losike to review contract of company tasked with construction of a sports complex at the Ekaales centre after delay in completion of the project.
“We have invested much for the construction of modern sports centre at Ekaales,in Kanamkemer but the contractor who was given the task is yet to complete the constructions. Its your role as CeC in charge to revoke the contract outright because he has failed us” Nanok said at his Lodwar office.
He decried that talents of youths are being wasted as they have waited the completion of the project for longtime.
Nanok said his County Government was investing to grow sports in the county and highlighted support that had seen emergence of talents in football, basketball, boxing and athletics.
By Peter Gitonga
