Africa-Press – Kenya. Elite players will be incorporated into the Government’s grand revival program which is geared towards restoring the country’s lost glory in football.
This follows Sports Cabinet Secretary Dr Ababu Namwamba’s recent announcement that captain Victor Wanyama is ready to rejoin national team after agreeing to rescind his earlier decision to retire.
While making the announcement, the CS underscored the priceless input of the elite players in the technical facet of the sport. CS Ababu was speaking in Eldoret where he flagged off Day Two of the East African Mini Classic.
The CS added that the government intends to create a web that will serve as an avenue to scout players locally and globally. “I have made it clear that all elite footballers should be part of a revival plan that we have started; and this is not necessarily in playing capacity.
“Some of them will be advisors, some will help us with selection and some with talent spotting,”Ababu added. He said the government has rolled out a nationwide program to spot talent for young children or young Kenyans between the ages of 9 and 19 years.
“We are even launching a special tournament that will be contested by counties. It’s going to be a Bottoms Up tournament and will be championed by President William Ruto himself; where counties will compete for a big cup.
“That’s going to be a tournament for the youth. It’s part of rebuilding our football from the grassroots,” he expounded. Ababu went on: “I have talked to Michael Olunga. Victor Wanyama, McDonald Mariga and we want our elite players to be part of that elite program.
The CS also remarked that sporting disciplines are set to benefit immensely through an ambitious tax rebate policy as part of President Ruto’s mega plan to revive the economy.
Ababu added: “I am telling sponsors that tax rebates are back. One of the things we want to do is to make it easy for sponsors who support sporting activities.”
“And I have just activated an old provision in the Income Tax Act to give tax rebates or tax breaks to anybody who puts their money in sponsorship. So, you can claim a tax rebate, a tax claw-back of up to 30 percent of what you invest and sometimes you can claim the whole of it from your tax return,” said Ababu.
CS Ababu also participated in a tree planting campaign at Mini Classic’s Parc Ferme at Rupa Mall, where he was accompanied by Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii and East Africa Safari Classic chair Joey Ghose.
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