What is the Inter County Bottom Up Football Tournament set for launch by President Ruto on Friday? - Capital Sports
Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Mathare United's Gideon Were battles for the ball with KCB's Nicholas Kipkurui. PHOTO/Timothy Olobulu

Football

What is the Inter County Bottom Up Football Tournament set for launch by President Ruto on Friday?

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 29 – President William Samoei Ruto is set to officially launch the Talanta Hela initiative on Friday at State House, Nairobi as one of the first steps towards transforming Kenyan sports as well as the arts and entertainment scene.

Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba has described the initiative as a cornerstone of the Kenya Kwanza administration’s bottom up ideology that centres on socio-economic empowerment of all classes of Kenyans.

“We are very clear in our minds that we need a coherent, structured, deliberate, intentional plan to turn talent into livelihoods…and that is what Talanta Hela is. It is about turning talents into money…into livelihoods. Whatever talents our young people have, Talanta Hela wants to turn it into an income generating livelihood for you,” the CS said.

To get the ball rolling – literally – will be the InterCounty Bottom Up Football Tournament that will pit teams from the 47 counties.

Namwamba said the competition will be a game changer in the Kenyan sports landscape and will not be a one-off event.

Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba with the Kenyan team to the Region IV Golf Championships in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. PHOTO/RAYMOND MAKHAYA.

“The ignition for the Talanta Hela programme is the InterCounty Bottom Up Football Tournament. This year, we are starting with football; next year we expand to other arrays of sporting disciplines. While the tournament will be going on, we will be having other artistic, creative activities alongside the football,” Namwamba said.

The CS was on Monday afternoon locked in a meeting with county executives for sports and youth affairs from the different counties around the country.

The CECs presented the CS with their county flags as well as their respective home, away and alternative kits to be worn by their teams in the tournament.

“We decided that the countdown to the unveiling (of Talanta Hela by President Ruto) will start with the gentlemen and ladies responsible for sports, culture and youth affairs in the counties. As part of the unveiling, we will have the draw for the tournament and at the end of that ceremony, each governor will be provided the instruments for the football tournament and that includes the county flag. Your flag will be handed to your governor by His Excellency the President,” Namwamba said.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Speaking at the same event, principal secretary in the State Department for Youth Affairs and the Arts, Ismail Maalim, predicted that the tournament will unearth talents from all corners of the country.

“Our friends in Uasin Gishu and the North Rift have always described themselves as the home of champions. With this initiative, we are informing them that it won’t be long before other counties start to lay claim to the same name…we are going to see the emergence of talents from all over the country,” the PS said.

Advertisement

More on Capital Sports

Football

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 27 – DStv and GOtv subscribers are in for a treat of the world’s best football this week as the 2020-21...

Football

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 25 – There is light at the end of the tunnel. After failed promises over the last three years since its...

Football

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 6 – Gentrix Shikangwa scored with two minutes left as Vihiga Queens sailed to the final of the CECAFA regional qualifiers...

NFL

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 13 – Kenya’s history making Daniel Adongo, the first Kenyan to play in America’s National Football League (NFL), is now living...

© 2024 Capital Digital Media. Capital Group Limited. All Rights Reserved