Africa School Games could open doors for young Kenyan talents

Local secondary school volleyball powerhouses Cheptil and Kwanthanze have had contrasting fortunes at the ongoing Africa Schools Championship in Casablanca, Morocco.

While Kwanthanze beat hosts Lycee Bir Anzarane in straight sets in their opener, Cheptil fell to Moroccan side Lycee des Sportifs Ain Sbaa with a similar margin.

Both Kwanthanze and Cheptil are in Morocco as representatives of East Africa after winning the regional title last year in Arusha, Tanzania.

It’s an open secret that “volleyball schools” like Cheptil, Kwanthanze, Malava, Lugulu and Tetu have over the years continued to supply raw and promising talents to senior clubs playing in the national volleyball leagues.

However, there have been cases of talented players overstaying in schools past the required four-year period as principals and game masters devise ways to stretch their dominance in school competitions.

The net effect has been players struggling to leave a mark in domestic leagues since they transition to clubs when it’s too late. Others end up failing to fulfill their potential of playing professionally since by the time they break into the national team their best years are well beyond them.

But with the introduction of the Africa School Games, I’m optimistic that this trend will soon change. A good player who has played for the school team from zonal level to nationals, East Africa and finally Africa level will definitely catch the attention of scouts at some point and doesn’t have to overstay in school to prove his talent.

As the continental event grows popular, scouts will definitely have a good avenue to source for talent with the best of the best in Africa competing at this grand stage.

Schools can also leverage on the continental games to strike partnerships with foreign clubs and scouts and negotiate for hefty compensation if their players are sourced directly from the school games.

Local clubs should also pounce on the opportunity to partner closely with these schools and impart them with the necessary technical skills to help them compete effectively at the continental stage.

A player who has competed at the continental level will only need little fine-tuning to prepare for club volleyball.

With the East Africa Secondary School Games acting as qualifiers for the African tourney, competition will also go a notch higher at the regional and national levels.

The introduction of the Africa School Games is no doubt a game-changer for secondary school sports and Kenyan sport stands to reap big if our dominance in the East Africa region is anything to go by.

If all stakeholders pull in the same direction, Kenya could soon end the problem of age cheating in sports by ensuring our best talents get their breakthroughs early through the Africa School Games.