Deaflympic team vow to make Kenya proud by qualifying for Brazil

National women's deaf football captain Emily Adhiambo hopes that qualifying for the 24th Deaflympics in Brazil will ramp up interest in their welfare and attract more investment. 

Adhiambo said the team are working hard in training and are determined to hoist the flag high during the qualifiers set for September 11-25 in Nairobi. 

"We are all motivated and aiming to qualify for the Deaflympics in Brazil next year. It's a great feeling to participate in the championships as a host nation. But we must capitalise on the home advantage and make Kenyans proud," Adhiambo said. 

The skipper bemoaned the neglect of sportspersons living with disabilities and believes a great showing on home soil and subsequently in Brazil will vindicate their limitless potential. 

"Many people have never seen or witnessed the deaf players in action.  This is our moment to showcase our talent. The unity in the team makes us strong. These players are really passionate about what they are doing and are hungry for success," she said. 

One source of inspiration for the ladies are their Harambee Starlets counterparts who have been doing the country proud, winning the Cecafa Senior Challenge in 2019 in their latest exploit. 

"We have been somehow inspired by Harambee Starlets performances especially their Cecafa title triumph in 2019. We can't match them but we are determined to lift this trophy at home. We are leaving nothing to chance to ensure we secure a podium finish and book a ticket to Brazil," Adhiambo said. 

Echoing the words of his captain, assistant head coach Ken Kafedhi said the team can go places if only there are structured leagues from which to select players from. 

"It wasn't easy to select the team because we don't have structured leagues for the deaf in the country. But we thank the national office for making it possible by organising trials across the country. Once we have structured competitions, the results will just come in," he said. 

The tactician plans to maximise on the ladies' strength and ride on the wave of optimism in the camp to reap positive results. 

"We have quite a number of talented players in the team and I'm confident they will do well. The morale in camp is high and I believe the girls will produce positive results. We are just going to take one game at a time and hopefully retain the trophy at home," Kafedhi said.