Junior Starlets players during a past training session at Moi International Sports, Centre, Kasarani.
Fresh from competing at the 2024 Fifa Under-17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic, Kenyan players, winger Marion Serenge, and midfielders Joy Angela Valencia and Clotilda Auma, have embarked on a mission to inspire and motivate other upcoming athletes.
On Monday, Serenge and Valencia were in a group of 650 youngsters who gathered at Kisumu Girls High School, and at Kisumu Boys High School, for the national sports talent camp taking place during school holidays.
The sports talent camps, which were launched by Kenya Academy of Sports (KAS) in conjunction with the ministries of Sports and Education, started on December 1 and will conclude on Sunday.
The talent camps are taking place simultaneously in Kisumu, Eldoret, Mombasa, and in Nairobi.
“Fresh from the Fifa Under-17 Women’s World Cup, our presence here is more than just a physical return. It serves as motivation for the youngsters," said Serenge.
"Every player’s dream is to play in the national team and to pursue a career in professional football, especially in Europe, and we are here to hold the hands of fellow young players,” she explained.
Serenge sat her Form Four examination at Archbishop Njenga Girls High School in Kakamega County.
Serenge, who is daughter of former Kenyan international Fred Serenge, attracted the attention of talent scouts from major European clubs during the Fifa Under-17 Women’s World Cup.
Spanish club Atletico Madrid is among the clubs that were reportedly scouting Serenge during the tournament.
Serenge said she is in talks with some of the clubs that are keen on signing her.
“The scouts were waiting for me to finish my KCSE but we are still in talks. My desire is to play college football with room to attend classes and play football,” she said.
Football Kenya Federation Women Premier League side Zetech Sparks are said to be monitoring Serenge's progress.
At the World Cup, Kenya finished third in a tough Group ‘C’ that featured eventual champions North Korea, England and Mexico.
Serenge was also the fourth fastest player in this year’s World Cup, covering a distance of 30.42 kilometers per hour.
Valencia, a Form Two student at Butere Girls High School, shared her perspective on the talent camp.
“This training plays a vital role in helping us improve our skills over the holiday period,” she said.
“We have brought home what we learnt from our World Cup experience. We are keen on giving back to the sport by passing down knowledge to our younger colleagues," she said.
Vida Okeyo, a member of the Junior Starlets team, was also present.
Serenge, Valencia, Auma and Okeyo were part of the ‘Talanta Hela’ team that attended a two-week training camp in Spain in February.
The team also played a series of friendly matches, and competed in the Costa Daurada Cup, finishing second.
John Okwemba, Director General of the Kenya Academy of Sports, said: “Our interest is in ensuring that sports talents are protected and nurtured from grassroots level with involvement in school competitions at various sporting events. We have also engaged with both the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Sports in ensuring harmonization of our activities.”
