Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba on Sunday 31 December unveiled select Talanta Hela U17 and U20 Girls and Boys teams springing from what was a successful inaugural edition of the 2023 National Talanta Hela U19 Inter-county Football Tournament that reached its conclusion this month.The teams, comprised of 25 girls and 20 boys for each age category, as per a ministerial communique seen by Mozzart Sport, represent the initial phases of deliberate, intentional and structured plans towards building strong teams for national duty.More sports to be included in Talanta Hela inter-county tournamentsAmong those plans will see the team participate in the national U20 boys and girls exhibition games against Busia County U20 combined on 2 January 2024, and also take part in the MIC Football – International Young Football Tournament Camp in Spain come March.The MIC Football tournament, as their portal reads, is an international youth football tournament that brings to the Costa Brava some of the best academies in the world. Homa Bay, Busia clinch Talanta Hela Inter-County tournament titlesEvery Easter, thousands of boys and girls from 5 continents have the opportunity to feel like professionals and compete against some of the future football stars.”We must be deliberate intentional and structured in building strong teams for national duty,” part of the communication read. “As part of this long-term masterplan, Kenya will contest all future U17 and U20 World Cup Qualifiers starting 2024.##NAJAVA_MECA_7769417##”We are determined to build a formidable Harambee Stars for the 2027 AFCON that we are hosting, and the 2030 World Cup.”Thanked for their support in anchoring the ‘exciting football renaissance odyssey’ were football coaches, scouts and legends including: Robert Matano, Allan Wanga, Doreen Odhiambo (CEO of Kenya Academy of Sports), Salim Babu, Stanley Okumbi, Jackline Juma, Evans Adek, Stephen Ochola, Evans Wanjala among others.TEAMS:National U17 and U20 boys and girls Teams, all set to grow and fly our national flag. This is the ultimate destination for our deliberate, intentional and structured effort to identify, nurture and monetise talents through the #TalantaHela flagship.Am delighted that the talent… pic.twitter.com/cLB2EYwhKw— Hon Ababu-Namwamba, EGH🇰🇪 (@AbabuNamwamba) December 31, 2023
