The former Kenyan cricketer played at One Day Internationals for Kenyan national team between 1997 and 2003, including at the 1999 and 2003 World Cups.
KISUMU, Kenya, Dec 19 – Former Kenya national team cricket bowler Joseph Angara has taken up cricket development at the grassroots level in Kisumu County.
Angara, who hails from Nyahera village in Kisumu West Constituency, says his initiative aims to revolutionize the development of cricket through helping and transforming talents among young people.
The former Kenyan cricketer played at One Day Internationals for Kenyan national team between 1997 and 2003, including at the 1999 and 2003 World Cups.
Angara is currently the head coach of Botswana Cricket team in West Africa.
“I am very passionate about cricket and it is my desire to come back to my village to nurture young talents,” Angara said.
Angara has organized a tournament with the help of Choppies Supermarket later this month to be staged at Ogada secondary school to give young people the opportunity to feel the taste of playing cricket.
He says there is potential at the grassroots and the objective of such tournaments is to groom young players to be future international players.
Angara is currently the head coach of Botswana Cricket team in West Africa.
The 47 years old sportsman decried the rate at which some sporting activities have been abandoned by both the national and county governments.
“Much attention has been given to football neglecting other sporting activities. It is my pleasure with the little resources at my disposal to push cricket at the village level,” he added.
He says that there are talented youth in the village whose capacity on the sport cannot be developed due to lack of exposure and access to sports facilities and equipment.
Angara plans to incorporate primary school teachers as a way of introducing the sports amongst pupils.
A primary school teacher Evans Dola of Gee primary school is enthusiastic about the program noting that raw talent must now be nurtured from the grassroots level.
“Cricket has been viewed as a game for the rich and coming up with such tournaments at the village level will give young people the opportunity to love and play cricket,” Dola undescored.
The presence of the international player amidst young people, Dola says was inspiring and motivating to young people who like to be cricketers.
“The country will reap from these initiatives in future, the immense talent that such coaching will have nurtured from the tender age,” he stated.
Dola says the national government is currently emphasis on the competency based curriculum that does not only look at the aspect of theoretical curriculum but also nurturing the talent of young people to earn their living.
-By Ojwang Joe-
