A football team based in Murang’a town is constructing a Sh350 million academy to nurture sports talent.
M-Seals football team’s founder Robert Macharia said the team, which won the Football Kenya Federation Division 1 league, will compete in the National Super League in August.
Macharia said the new academy will have a top quality pitch.
The academy situated in Thangathi area will be a normal boarding school targeting students with a passion for football and will enroll students from Class Six to Form Four.
About 70 per cent of the students will not pay fees as majority of children with a passion for football come from poor backgrounds.
“The academy will operate as a charitable organization so we are asking those willing to assist us to come in and help develop the sports talent in children,” he said.
He spoke at St Mary Primary School on Friday where the team donated undergarments and foodstuffs to children to celebrate their victory.
Macharia said he finances the team fully from his pocket and that the academy has taken a long time to be completed as funds were sometimes inadequate.
He however expressed optimism that the pitch will be completed next month.
The academy will also have basketball and tennis pitches but will focus on football.
Macharia who works for Sportpesa said he is worried about the future of his team following the move by the government to shut down betting companies.
Sportpesa’s operations have been adversely affected by the directive by the government to have its paybill numbers blocked over alleged tax evasion.
It is one of the 27 betting companies that were asked to renew their licenses.
“With the issues between the government and betting companies we don’t know what will happen to the club. I'm asking the government to rethink its decision since it has a policy to support sports,” he said.
His players are concerned that they may be locked out of the next season if he is out of a job.
Macharia also appealed to the county government and other well-wishers to consider supporting the team as they will be flying the county’s flag.
He said the team aims at inspiring children to join sports such as football to distract them from vices affecting many local youths such as alcoholism and drugs abuse.
“We thought it is important to be good role models and show them that they can come from nothing and achieve something,” he said.
“We came from the county league to the regional league which we won at first attempt, then FKF Division 2 which we also won at first attempt. We also won Division 1 at first attempt and we are hoping to win NSL at first attempt."
