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US talent search targets local youth

Yao Ming looks to shoot against the Los Angeles Lakers during a past game. Sports professionals are excited by the growing pool of international talent and are constantly on the lookout for the next Yao Ming, of China, Tim Duncan (Virgin Islands) or Dikembe Mutombo (Democratic Republic of Congo). Photo/REUTERS

With as little as $3 (Sh240) you can now make that lifetime trip to the United States through an All Star Athletic (ASA) talent search. This opportunity will be provided by the Amateur Athletic Foundation, an non-governmental organisation from the US which will in August search for sporting talent around Kenya with the successful players landing professional contracts and sports scholarships.

“This is a new venture. We intend to help nurture talent in various sports in this country. Many people are talented in different sports but [the talents] go to waste due to lack of opportunities. We have brought these opportunities here,” says All Star Inter-Productions managing director, Alfred Banks.

The talent search will be based on four age categories, each with a different registration fee. Players aged between seven and 11 years will be required to pay Sh240, 12 to 14-year-olds will pay Sh480, while aspirants in the 15-18-year bracket will part with Sh720. Those over 19 years old will pay a registration fee of Sh960.

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Established to encourage youth of all ages and backgrounds to participate in sports, the programme was founded by National Basketball Association (NBA) veteran Pervis Ellison and All-star forward Dominique Wilkins. The two are expected in Kenya on May 25th.

The programme will assess talents and abilities of hundreds of thousands of young people worldwide, Banks explained. Data of successful players will then be made available to sports scouts and directors from schools, colleges as well as professional scouts from around the world.

This will give the scouts access to athletes with sporting potential in places they would not otherwise have time or opportunity to look. “After each player has paid the stipulated registration fee, the rest will be for us to take care of. This is a country rich in talent in various sports, which include athletics, swimming, volleyball, basketball,” said Banks, a former national high school all-American 100m and 200m champion.

Student athletes

“The problem is that they don’t get the chance to exploit their potential.” American college and professional athletics institutions are always looking out for talented student athletes for sports programmes in the US and Europe.

Sports professionals are excited by the growing pool of international talent in football, basketball, swimming and track and field events and are constantly on the lookout for the next Yao Ming, of China, Tim Duncan (Virgin Islands) or Dikembe Mutombo (Democratic Republic of Congo). The government is in support of the ASA programme.

Good idea

“It a good idea as it incorporates all sports. For the US to bring in renowned players is a welcome gesture. Their presence will be motivational and we welcome their contribution in the development of sports in the country,” said the Sports Commissioner, Gordon Oluoch.

Registration can be done online at www.asatalentsearch.com or through schools and centres that will be named soon.

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