NAIROBI, October 16 – Kenya Premier League side World Hope football club will be known as Nairobi City Stars from the beginning of next season after changing ownership and management.
The club’s general manager Steven Rigby said the side will now be owned by Ambassadors in Sports (AIS Kenya) whose mission is to provide the highest level of professional football which is a tool that is dedicated to bring hope through football.
“We see it as a social responsibility of corporate investment and we believe the spin off from this team will be great to all Kenyans,” Rigby stated.
He said that AIS is set to equip Kenyan soccer by offering training opportunities at improving a number of football programmes with the local sponsors.
“We have a kit partner ‘Homo’ which we also expect to introduce in Nairobi specifically on where we work with our local partners in spreading the game to the grass root level,” he added.
Veteran Harambee Stars Captain Musa Otieno who will be the vice chairman of Nairobi City Stars said the initiative will help develop the Kenya premier league since it has expertise in professional soccer ministries in USA.
“We are proud of partners who come forward and join us because in our league needs support so World Hope is honoured to receive people who will improve football and develop talent,” he said.
Otieno who plies his trade with Santos FC in South Africa added that the programme will spur the club’s players into being one of the best in Africa by developing their character and being some good role models to the community.
“AIS helped me spend a stint in the USA with Cleveland City Stars Club which is a sister to AIS and maybe it is going to be a sister to this new club in our country therefore I will be here as a volunteer and vice chairman to the new club,” he explained.
The International Christian Centre (ICC) representative, Philip Kitoto said they would work hand in hand with ambassadors in sports in developing football programmes in Kenya by putting up a Petra Boys programme where boys from the slums and streets will be rehabilitated through soccer.
“ICC will be the title sponsors of Petro Boys the feeder team that currently does well in bringing up young talent and will serve as a sports academy for raw talent,” Kitoto said.
Justin Burichi, the chairman of Nairobi City Stars said that the club will have proper structures in place and urged other companies and the local football lovers to join them in moulding the team to higher horizons.
He added that the marriage between the two sides did not cost them money but had intent of using sports to unify people and a tool for change among the marginalized youth.
Through sport, Nairobi City Stars aims to fight poverty, HIV/Aids, ethnic conflict and corruption by raising awareness and providing education through training and counselling.
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