Kolwa Falcons Football Club believe the promotion of Kisumu All Starlets and KISPED Queens to the Women’s Premier League, is an indication of a revival of women’s football around the lake region and that they too stand a chance at achieving the very feat in the new season.Falcons, who shared the Moi Stadium in Kisumu for their home matches with Starlets and KISPED in the Women’s Super League, missed out on promotion in a season marred by a myriad of financial challenges all of which fell on one Zack Odida’s shoulders.Having himself developed more than a dozen players for his more stable regional rivals, Odida, while taking in last season’s lessons, heaps heavy congratulatory praise on Starlets and KISPED.‘’These two teams deserved to play in the top flight. We played them a number of times and they showed dominance in the super league. You cannot take anything away from their achievements and I pray they represent the region well in the premier league,’’ says Odida.Starlets earned an automatic qualification slot after finishing top in Odida’s WSL Zone B, while KISPED had to first dispose off Kayole Starlet in the promotion play-offs.##NAJAVA_MECA_8161503##The two sides, Odida says, have had a history of proper organisation and their achievement doesn’t come as a surprise.‘’The similar thing with both teams is they have proper structures and a lot of goodwill from the fans, some individuals, and even corporates. It’s easier to fashion a team that plays like them when you don’t have to worry about off-field issues,’’ he continues.‘’It is these kind of structures that have allowed me in the past to sometimes let go of some of my good players to join them because at Kolwa we are yet to get to that level of stability.’’Shabana eyeing Leopards scalp as FKFPL resumes after lengthy breakOdida runs the club almost single-handedly and was only able to honour their WSL fixtures because the women’s second tier offers opposition from teams within a radius not detrimental to finances when matters of transportation and accommodation are considered. Being the only one remaining in the WSL from Kisumu, Odida hopes to fill the vacuum left by his two previous rivals.‘’They are big shoes to fill but on the bright side, we also get to have a wider reach for the available players during the window. The fact that competition within our area has reduced means most of the home fans will be rooting for us in the home games,’’ he continues.Kolwa Falcons has in its unit a number of underprivileged girls and a few young mothers who Odida, apart from ensuring they have access to the basic amenities of life at their clubhouse, has to facilitate their travel logistics for the away matches.It has not been easy.‘’Finances have been a challenge to me personally. There are times I have even been arrested because of unpaid debts. We house about 15 girls in the clubhouse and the responsibility for their upkeep falls to me. With occasional help from a few individuals, we managed to finish last season but it was tough,’’ adds the coach.Kenyan U18 basketball sides settle for bronze in Afrobasket qualifiers as Uganda dominateTo prepare well for the next season, he intends to hold a fundraiser sometime in August and see what the club can collect in order to have a seamless 2024/25 WSL season.‘’I appeal to individuals, well-wishers and even corporates to reach out and aid in the development of these young girls. In our brief period of existence we have developed quality players for other more financially stable clubs and it is my wish that the girls currently in the squad make it to the premier league and even beyond. They are still very young and very ambitious,’’ he concludes.Odida doubles up as the club coach and chairman of the club he founded half a decade ago.
