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• Frank Rotich 25 days ago

KAS targets 5,000 students in December holiday camps in effort to grow talent

The Kenya Academy of Sports (KAS) is targeting to enroll 5,000 students in its December holiday training camps this year, up from the 4,000 students who attended the programme in 2025.

KAS says the camps are playing a major role in identifying and nurturing young talent across the country before linking players to national teams and professional clubs.

Speaking at the end of the April Elite Camp in Nairobi, KAS Council Chairperson Thuo Cege said the academy is focused on helping young athletes smoothly transition from school sports to professional competition.

He noted that the 10-day elite camp, held from April 15 to April 24, brought together more than 600 talented students from across the country.

The athletes were trained in football, rugby, basketball, handball, hockey and chess.

At the end of the camp, KAS is expected to select seven teams in different disciplines in the Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 categories for both boys and girls to help strengthen national junior teams.

KAS Chief Executive Officer Dr. Doreen Odhiambo said the academy’s impact is already being seen in national teams.

She revealed that 11 players in Kenya’s Under-17 women’s football team, Junior Starlets, who recently qualified for the second round of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers, passed through KAS holiday camps.

Some of the players include Brenda Achieng, Grace Mumo, Gaudencia Maloba, Lindey Weey, Flevian Khatenje and Emily Adhiambo.

The Junior Starlets recently thrashed Namibia 5-0 in Nairobi, with Brenda Achieng scoring a hat-trick.

Odhiambo also said several players from schools that performed well in this year’s Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association games had also attended KAS camps.

She added that KAS is working closely with schools through training programmes for coaches to improve talent identification and development at grassroots level.

The coaching programmes have already been held in Voi, Kitale, Kisii and Murang’a.

KAS says its long-term goal is to create a strong talent pipeline from schools to national teams and professional clubs.