Obala declares interest in FKF executive committee post
Extreme Sports Chief Coordinator Athanas Obala (left) during a past function. Obala has declared interest in the Football Kenya Federation National Executive Committee member for Nairobi post.
What you need to know:
- Obala is basing his candidature on three key pillars; infrastructure development in Nairobi, professional management of grassroots leagues as well as transparency and accountability
- While contestants in the various positions in the upcoming elections have already positioned themselves in various camps, Obala says he is an independent candidate
- Former FKF Nairobi East Branch chairman Michael Ouma has also expressed interest in the post while Simon Mugo is also eyeing the position
Renowned football administrator Athanas Obala, popularly known as Obango, has declared his interest in the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) National Executive Council (NEC) member for Nairobi post.
The FKF elections will start afresh on September 19 at the county level with the national elections set for October 1. Obala says his track record speaks for itself and here is now eager to play a bigger role in developing football in Nairobi.
"I have played football, coached even before I became an administrator and I, therefore, know what needs to be done to take football in Nairobi to the next level. I am very keen to professionalise the Nairobi leagues and make them commercially viable," Obala told Nation Sport.
"My focus has always been grassroots football - if that is properly handled then the fruits will always be seen across the board. We have to build football from the bottom to the top and not the other way round.
Extreme Sports Chief Coordinator Athanas Obala (left) hands over the SportPesa Super 8 Premier League trophy and a Sh1 million dummy cheque to Kayole Asubuhi captain Joel Mutura on September 26, 2016. Obala has declared interest in the Football Kenya Federation National Executive Committee member for Nairobi post.
"I have worked for Extreme Sports as the Chief Coordinator for over a decade and it is during this period that our league was named the best-run grassroots league in Africa during the Discovery Awards in South Africa in 2017," he added.
Obala is basing his candidature on three key pillars; infrastructure development in Nairobi, professional management of grassroots leagues as well as transparency and accountability.
While contestants in the various positions in the upcoming elections have already positioned themselves in various camps, Obala says he is an independent candidate.
Extreme Sports Chief Coordinator Athanas Obala (left) during a past function. Obala has declared interest in the Football Kenya Federation National Executive Committee member for Nairobi post.
"At the moment I haven't talked to any presidential candidate but I will back whoever has grassroots football interests at heart," he concluded.
Obala is a former Kangemi AllStars coach and has served as the Chief Coordinator of the once-popular Super 8 Premier League. He is the current president of the recently formed Kenya Association of Former Footballers (KAFF).
Former FKF Nairobi East Branch chairman Michael Ouma has also expressed interest in the post while Simon Mugo is also eyeing the position. The incumbent Chris Amimo won't be defending his seat.
Kenyan football stakeholders Noordin Taib (centre) flanked by Athanas "Obango" Obala (left) and Vincent Radido addressing a press conference on Football Kenya Federation elections on January 10, 2020 at 680 Hotel in Nairobi. Obala has declared interest in the Football Kenya Federation National Executive Committee member for Nairobi post.
Despite the FKF Electoral Board releasing a calendar and road map for the upcoming elections, a case challenging the constitution of the board, as well as the eligibility criteria, is still ongoing at the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT).
