By Amoto Ndiewo
Stakeholders have blamed culture, harsh climate, unconducive environment and lack of proper infrastructure as main causes holding back the North Eastern region in sports.
The issue of dismal performance in sports and athletics was raised during a meeting of school heads and sports teachers in Garissa. The meeting discussed means of promoting the same In order to tap talent.
North Eastern Athletics Kenya (AK) Chairman, Abdullahi Salat said that the issues could be handled if stakeholders worked together.
“They are not insurmountable challenges and we have to find ways to overcome them especially doping which has become a major concern. Since we have started the journey, we ought to make sure we reach somewhere,” said Salat.
“We know it isn’t easy but we can’t give up before trying. I am optimistic that with a dedicated team we will succeed because talent lies here in abundance,” he added.
Garissa Primary school sports and ball games Chairman, Ahmed Dekow said that time had come for all stakeholders to come together and identify and nurture talents from an early age in the arid region.
North Eastern AK Treasurer and Garissa Primary school head teacher, Mohamed Abdi said there was need to create camps where sports talents could be nurtured.
He called on AK to initiate the programme which would play a big role in identifying young talent and figuring their next steps.
Abdi said that would go a long way to ensure those picked can be taken to high altitude areas for intensive training.
“In addition, Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) talks of early identification of talent, adding that it has provided a platform to realize talent early,” he added.
The resolutions passed included training of technical staff including head teachers and sports teachers in both primary and secondary schools and also that schools ought to have adequate facilities and make such resources easily available among others.
