NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 19 – The Kenya Academy of Sports Elite training camp in Nairobi has been billed as the perfect starting point for grassroots talent identification and development across the country.
Eldoret-based basketball coach Shem Otieno says there is need to identify and develop talents as early as primary school so that they are ready for the national team when they reach 18 years.
Otieno is among coaches taking young basketballers through their paces at the elite camp, which began on Tuesday.
At his base in Eldoret it produced seven boys and girls each out of 40 girls and 42 boys that converged at the regional.
“This is the right path Kenya Academy of Sports is taking, we know need to go lower in primary schools, and with the CBC curriculum, it is a good platform to be able to develop the athletes from the age of eight years so that by the time they are 19 years they will be ready to play in the national team,” Otieno disclosed.
He added, “the best we can go is lower and have the Under 12, 14, 15 coming up to the next level to Under-19, that will be a good transition to the national team.”
Otieno commended the Kenya Academy of Sports for the great initiative, noting that it is an opportunity for the upcoming basketball players to gain experience at an early stage.
“Our job as coaches is to facilitate and make them ready to play basketball at the top level. They can be absorbed in the national teams or play for different clubs in the country,” Otieno stated.
One of the beneficiaries Shedy Jairo is positive the elite camp will bear fruits that see her be scouted to play in the national under 19 team.
“Training for the past one week has been fantastic, the coaching staff, are amazing, they are helping us be the stars of tomorrow. The elite camp has produced the best in the country from four regions, and we are here to showcase our skills and compete for slots in the national team,” Jairo, who just completed his KCSE exams from Machakos Boys said.
“We are continuing to cover the gaps as players and get to learn different skills from various coaches who are pushing us and we are taking it positively.”
