A total of 48 teams will feature in the inaugural Meru Football Challenge which starts on Sunday at Kinoru Stadium.
Thirty-two teams will feature in the men’s tournament while 16 will compete in the women’s teams competition.
The competition begins with the preliminary matches on Sunday with teams expected to go through the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and culminate with the finals on March 31.
The winning team in each gender will pocket Sh1m while runners-up and second runners will receive Sh500,000 and Sh250,000 respectively courtesy of Betika.
“We aim to provide a platform for over 40 teams, comprising both men and women, to showcase their talent, enhance their skills, and compete in a fair and inclusive environment,” said Betika MD Mutua Mutava.
“With an investment of over Sh10m for this inaugural tournament, we hope to empower the youth of Meru and support their journey towards sporting excellence. We envision Meru producing the next football champion. We are dedicated to nurturing talent at the grassroots level.”
Meru County Youth Affairs Executive Benjamin Mungania underscored the significance of the tournament in the local sports landscape.
“Meru football is on the rise. I am happy to see this tournament come to fruition. It is important to use sports to keep the youth busy,” said Mungania.
FKF Regional Chairman Ken Rungu observed: “We have seen local organisations and businesses adopting football teams, which is a testament to the good organisation and leadership that we are seeing in our teams.
"This is the biggest football tournament we have had in Meru County and we all look forward to the on-field action.”
