Last week I was inundated by news that Sportpesa had signed on to become Hull City's kit sponsor. What seemed to go begging was the news that they had also come to an understanding with Southampton to have them come to Kenya and hold training clinics.
Think about that, the team that allowed the world to appreciate Wanyama's prowess on the pitch will be coming to Kenya every so often to scout for and train with local talent!
That's right,SportPesa signed what insiders are calling a "multi-million pound three-year deal” with Southampton ahead of the 2016/17 season.
This for me was the biggest news in local sports for one reason; the deal will see Southampton support the development of young football players in Kenya by sending football development experts and support staff to the country. And it doesn't end there.
They are introducing an exchange programme that will see Kenyan players visit the club’s Staplewood Campus to learn key skills in football development at a Premier League club!
KABOOM!
And with all this going, there are still voices of disquiet talking out of the side of their necks about stopping what they perceive to be Sportpesa's interference in local football.
Let us get to the next page to see why this is the case.
If you listen to what some quarters in the government have to say about this, all you'll get is hot air. And I personally have no interest in letting Aden Duale waste my time.
Let's simply separate chaff from wheat by looking at the pros and cons of this deal:
#1. local players get a chance to improve their skills ergo elevate the local football game.
#2. if local players are put in a position to learn more and improve their skills, Kenyan football at a national level improves
#3. vijana wa mtaa actually have more opportunities to play in the EPL ergo their dreams are finally valid!
#4. local coaches get to learn a thing or two about tactics rather than playing the rather simple minded game of "duff-duff" football also known as "forwarding and clearing".
Now onto the cons:
#1. More Kenyans get an opportunity to play in the EPL
#2. Kenyan coaches begin to set in motion smart tactics that allow the game to grow overall
Yeah... Those cons are looking devastating -to Aden Duale.
At the end of the day, the day ends.
Wait, I wasn't done.
At the end of the day, the day ends but it is clear even to a casual observer such as myself that when it comes to sports, Sportpesa's is doing alot more in way of developing a wide array of competitive sports such as rugby by injecting much needed funding and availing the opportunities for the players to learn and even interact with real superstars.
Now I'm done. But remember, everyone has a right to an opinion, MINE!
Habida opens up after losing her voice for two weeks