West Mugirango MP Stephen Mogaka has promised to establish sports clubs and support various outdoor activities, aimed at tapping into potential underutilized talents in the constituency.
In an interview with KNA Monday, Mogaka said local youth possess various unused sporting talents, largely due to lack of support and mentorship from the relevant authorities.
“Our youths lack committed persons of goodwill who can identify and nurture their passion to excel in sports and improve on their livelihoods.
It is against this backdrop that I have strategized to utilize part of the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) allocated to sports to establish sports clubs in each ward within the constituency, so that youths and other interested persons can grow their talents and bring honour to our country as well as transform their lives,” he said.
Mogaka also decried indiscreet management of resources at the Football Kenya Federation (FKF), Athletics Kenya and other sports governing bodies in the country, noting that the tendency of skewed resources allocation had made talented youths from the neglected regions abandon sporting activities that are immensely profitable.
The MP expounded that sport teams will be set up in each of the 5 wards in the constituency, with a view to engaging the youth in various sporting activities.
This will in turn lead to formulation of a competent constituency team, comprised of both men and women teams, which will then compete with other constituencies within Nyamira County.
“In the long run, this will also enable us select competent players from the various local teams to form a county team just like our own Shabana FC to represent us in national tournaments,” added Mogaka.
“I will talk to my counterparts within the county to equally form their local sports team and organize for quarterly inter-constituency sports tournaments to help us select players who will eventually form a county team to compete with other devolved units and also at the national level.
“It is only from such endeavours that well will exploit our full potential. Who knows, Nyamira could be home to a myriad of untapped talents, ready for the coveted medal awards,” said the legislator.
He recounted that the first ever athletics medals for the country were won by athletes from the Abagusii community, including the late Nyantinka Mayioro, who without any professional training managed to bring national honour and fame.
“I believe such talents are still within our people only that the complex dynamics of selecting, training and finally approving one to participate in the sports activities has discouraged many talented youths from pursuing their sports careers, which I have now prioritized to revive,” he promised.
Meanwhile, the MP has appealed to the newly appointed Sports CS Ababu Namwamba to ensure that he resolves all management wrangles bedeviling the sports sector, so as to give ample room to our youths to nurture their talents.
He said such a move will deter the youth from engaging in criminal activities due to idleness and also enable them earn from sports to sustain themselves and their families.
By Deborah Bochere
