Namwamba flies to Barcelona to formalize Kenyan deal with Spanish academy

Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba has flown to Barcelona, Spain in a bid to seal a deal between the Kenya Academy of Sports (KAS) and the Nastic Soccer Academy (NSA) of Tarragona.

In a statement dated Monday, April 1, CS Ababu noted that the partnership between the Kenya Academy of Sports and the Nastic Soccer Academy is key to nurturing talent in the country.

Through the partnership, Ababu noted that the country can help players monetize their talents and expose them to more professional football clubs.

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Further, Ababu pointed out that scouts and professional coaches in Spain will help Kenya form a strong team which will help the country rebuild its brand as a sports powerhouse.

"The KAS-NSA partnership is part of the elaborate Talanta Hela pipeline of identifying, nurturing and monetizing talents in a deliberate, intentional and structured manner.

The target being to assemble formidable national teams for international assignments such as the forthcoming AFCON’27 that Kenya is delighted to be co-hosting with good neighbours Uganda and Tanzania," he stated.

"As we do this, we give a chance to talented youngsters from every corner of Kenya, from Loitoktok to Lokitaung, Lamu to Lambwe to hone their skills in diverse sporting disciplines and creatives, ultimately turning their talents into "Pesa Mfukoni" for sustainable livelihoods.

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Supporting themselves, their families, communities and contributing substantively to national development through a robust Sports Economy."

The Cabinet Secretary lauded Nastic Academy for hosting the the Talanta Hela national U19 boys and girls teams for two weeks which he insisted demonstrated their commitment to helping the country.

He also indicated that scouting and integrating several Kenyan players such as Amos Wanjala, Aldrine Kibet, Alvin Kasavuli, Ezekiel Nguya and Ismail Odhiambo Alal, into their teams was evidence enough of their committed partnership.

The deal is set to pave the way for more exchange programs and exposure for Kenyan players. Besides helping to develop talents, Kenyan players are also set to have the opportunity to study different courses at institutions already in partnership with the Nastic Academy of Sports in Spain.

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