Owalo Foundation seeks to nurture, empower basketball players

The Eliud Owalo Foundation has unveiled a series of basketball tournaments that target to nurture and grow young talent.

The foundation, through the tournaments, focuses on fostering sports development, encouraging healthy competition and unity, and providing platforms for aspiring athletes to showcase their skills.

The tournament set for March and May respectively will also provide a platform for aspiring players to showcase their skills, believing that sports can play a pivotal role in shaping the lives of the youth.

On March 2 and 3, the tournament will feature 26 schools from six counties in the Nyanza region.

The tournament, sponsored by the foundation, will bring together 13 boys and 13 girls schools from Kisumu, Homa Bay, Siaya, Nyamira, Kisii and Migori counties.

ICT CS Eliud Owalo will preside over the opening and closing ceremony of the event at Maseno School and Kenyatta Sports Grounds respectively.

According to the foundation, the High School’s tournaments will see 390 student-athletes drawn from Nyanza schools, taking part.

Tournament’s Organising Committee chairman Ronnie Owino said the top two schools—boys and girls—from last year’s schools’ tournament in every county will feature in the event.

Owino, who coaches Strathmore University, said Kisumu Girls and Kisumu Boys who will play host to the event are among the participants.

The tournament will be played at Kenyatta Sports Ground, Maseno School, Kisumu Boys and Kisumu Girls.

Agoro Sare, Ototo (boys and girls) and Asumbi Girls will represent Homa Bay county while Manga Girls, Sironga Girls, Nyansiongo Boys and Ekenyoro Tech Boys will fly the Nyamira county’s flag.

In Kisii County, Nyanchwa Boys, Kisii High, Sengera Girls and Kereri Girls will participate.

Other schools are Migori Boys, Kanyawanga Boys, Tuk Jowi Girls, Kwa Sec Girls (Migori County) and Sawagogo High, Usenge High, Barchando and Ngiya Girl (Siaya County).

Kisumu’s schools which include Maseno School, Onjiko High, Kisumu Boys, Nyakach Girls, Sinyolo Girls and Kisumu Girls will represent the county.

Owino said the schools were picked based on their performance in the last Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) tournament in their respective counties.

“There will be talent identification to get scholarships from various universities. All participating schools and many others have been invited,” he said.

University scouting and school coaches are expected during the tournament.

“The tournament's objective is to nurture talent in high schools to enable successful players to get scholarships in universities,” Owino said.

Besides the High school tournament, Kenya Premier Basketball League Top 6 Clubs, for ladies and men will be held from May 10 to 12. Top six leading teams in the KPL (6 men's and 6 women's clubs) will be participating.

The primary goals of the tournaments are to help identify and nurture talent for potential recruitment and provide opportunities for academic sports scholarships.

Under the patronage of the CS, the foundation has a long history of supporting sports teams and contributing to the development of sports in Kenya.

The foundation is a leading charity organization dedicated to elevating lives and empowering futures.

In basketball, the Foundation has provided support to the national team, Morans, and university basketball teams.

Notable contributions include the recent acquisition of a state-of-the-art bus for Gor Mahia FC, alongside sustained support for teams such as AFC Leopards, Migori Youth FC, Shabana FC and Muhoroni Youth FC.

Unlocking the untapped potential within Kenyan youth and empowering them to nurture their sporting talents and develop careers in sports is the Foundation's mission.

The foundation has collaborated with seasoned basketball professionals, some of whom have excelled at the national level, and formed a technical committee for the much-awaited tournament.

They include Chair of Nairobi Basketball Federation, Ronnie Owino, former player Dickson Jawichre; former Chair of FIBA Africa Eng. Morris Aluanga and Secretary Kenya Basketball Federation Angela Luchivya.

Former player and team manager Stanbic Bank Basketball Michael Riziki Mayienga, former player and Sports Journalist Dan O. Were, former National player and team Manager Kenya Lioness Sylvia Kamau-Ochola and Former National Team player Abraham Muthogo are amongst the panel.

They bring a wealth of experience and expertise to ensure the success and fair play of the tournament.

Their backgrounds in national-level basketball contribute to the credibility and integrity of the event.