Kenya Academy of Sports holds second Talanta Hela camp in Nairobi

The Kenya Academy of Sports (KAS) has kicked off the second football camp for the Talanta Hela All Stars in Nairobi.

32 boys from the team picked at the end of the tournament in December have assembled in Nairobi for a camp that combines football training and football education.

“It is not just playing; they have practicals in the morning, and in the afternoon we have football education. We want to have elite players who not only know the game but also understand it in depth,” explained coach Jeff Mwaniki from KAS.

The first camp in December 2023 had 84 boys at Kasarani for one week. This second camp of 32 boys will run for a week and comprise players who did their form four exams in 2023. The ones in school will have their camp during the school holidays.

“It is easier for them to be engaged during the school holidays, and there will be a camp for them. The girls will also have their camp because remember the CS for Sports Ababu Namwamba announced that what is done for the boys must also be done for the girls,” he added.

The 32 boys are training under Talanta FC coach Ken Kenyatta with the sole purpose of keeping them active and looking for placement for them. Coach Kenyatta is assessing the boys, and those who impress will be incorporated into the Talanta FC senior team while others will be taken to the Talanta FC junior team. Some players have already been signed up by other teams.

“It is a plus for us because they are placed somewhere. But we wanted it to be systematic and organized. If you want a certain player unearthed during the Talanta Hela tournament, contact the ministry so that there is control and people are answerable,” concluded the coach.

The Kenya Academy of Sports has now collected the biodata for all the players and created profiles for them to make it easier for the players to transition to clubs both locally and abroad.