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Tadious Manyepo Youth Interactive Correspondent
FOURTY students from Avenues Stars Sports Facilitators and Arts (ASSFA) are set to participate in the Southern and Eastern Africa Gold Cup in Uganda this December.
Uganda-based Kids for Africa Academy is hosting the meet which will see students competing in different sporting categories including football, handball and netball as well as arts.
The festival aims at propagating African cultural values through sporting activities including football and netball among African children.
Founded in 2009 by Marin Asimwe and Atuyambe Raymond to improve the lives of vulnerable children through sport, the academy has evolved into one of the most effective cultural exchange tools on the continent.
And after being forced to postpone the 2020 event because of the Covid-19 pandemic, KAA is positioning itself to host a bumper event this year.
Academy spokesperson Marvin Asimwe said; “As a project by our work, The Gold Cup is one of our annual soccer tournaments and culture exchange programs which is aligned to the United Nations Human Development Program (UNHDP)
“Human development lights us to expand choices and capabilities of individuals to perform tasks.
“Culture and sports are something that move together in the African society.”
He added “Despite the barriers that culture impacts of sports in terms of participation, we believe that culture is very important because it directly influences many areas that affect team functioning and performance. The culture establishes norms and values that we sometimes name “fair play and respect” in the sports arena.
“Therefore, sports forms part of the continent culture which attracts attention of different people with different ethnicity and language.
“We believe it’s more than soccer as we hope to learn about the different norms and values, how different people perceive life, growth, leadership and respect in other countries or cultures.”
The tournament will see the kids battling it out in the Under-14 and Under-17 age-groups.
The tournament won’t only be a platform to exchange culture among the kids but an opportunity for the talented crop to get scholarships and possible secondment at well-to-do international academies and clubs.
Already the academy has helped hundreds of kids to earn scholarship opportunities in Uganda.
Asimwe said “As countries in the East and Southern Africa, we have been lacking organized grassroots football tournaments and here it’s one kind.
‘‘We are hoping to make this tournament the best of all time that will later attract European and North American teams to participate and experience the beauty of Africa and its culture.”
Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Rwanda have since confirmed their participation at the jamboree.
ASSFA director Richard Motoale said; “We are delighted to get this invitation to participate in this prestigious tournament.
“This is definitely one of the biggest platforms where African kids get to exchange culture through sport. It’s also a platform where talented kids get to showcase their prowess and possibly attract the interest of top-of-the-range teams and academies. We know for sure that there will be scouts at the tournament.”
Uganda Under-17 star Elvis Sekagiko, Canada-based Muhbwa Leblanca, South Sudan Under-17
Ago Wilson as well as Dede Ibrahim who plays in the United States are some of the players to emerge from this tournament.
Online Reporter