Radull to chair Talanta Hela sports technical committee

The government has appointed Olympic and World javelin medallist Julius Yego among other sports personalities to Talanta Hela Council and Sports Technical Committee.

Yego, the 2015 World javelin champion and former football internationals Boniface Ambani and Sammy Shollei will serve in the Sports Technical Committee appointed by Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba on Friday.

Sports journalist Carol Radull will be the chairperson of the Technical Committee that will have 10 members.

Yego, the 2016 Rio Olympics javelin silver medallist and the football duo, are joined in the Technical Committee by Neddy Kutsuru, Alfred Makotsi, Collins Kale, Kevin Mutai, Shilovelo Winna Shilavula, Daniel Nakeor Losiru and Staicy Shariffa Ochieng.

The Technical Committee that will serve for three years has a daunting task in reforming the sporting sector in the country.

Namwamba disclosed that one of its mandates will be to support program and efforts aimed at getting the Harambee Stars to qualify for the 2030 Fifa World Cup and the Harambee Starlets to participate at the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup as well as the 2028 Caf Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

“The Technical Committee will institute measures aimed at improving Kenya’s medals haul at the 2024 Paris and 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

“It will adopt and implement measures for raising the level of Kenyan football, including returning fans to the stadia, attracting beneficial corporate partnerships, and improving governance of the sport,” said Namwamba.

The Technical Committee will support the Kenya Academy for Sports (KAS) in running a nationwide program for identifying, developing and marketing Kenya’s best sporting and creative talent from across 47 counties.

The committee will also manage the annual bottom-up Under-19 football tournament for grassroot teams from the 47 counties, with finals held during the Jamhuri Day Celebrations in December.

“It will deploy the digital space in talent search, identification, nurturing and exposure besides establishing a robust framework to monetise sports, expand employment opportunities and grow the economy,’ said Namwamba in a gazette notice.

Namwamba explained that the committee will also consider and propose legislative and policy measures for the growth of sports and advise on the masterplan for upgrading sports facilities and infrastructure countrywide to international standards.

Lastly, Namwamba said that the committee will also develop a framework to establish Kenya as a destination of choice for sports tourism under his ministry’s flagship ‘SportSafari’ initiative.

Namwamba will head the Talenta Hela Council that will have Mueke and Madey as members alongside Principal Secretary in State Department of Education, Kisito Wangalwa and a representative from Council of Governors.

June Chepkemei, who was recently appointed the acting Managing Director of Kenya Investment Authority (Kenivest) and Dennis Itumbi, who was President William Ruto’s digital strategist, will also make the Council.

Other members in the Council are David Langat, Debra Mallowah, Abraham Kipyego Mutai, Charles Gacheru, Claudia Naisabwa Leshomoo and Nobert Ouma.

The Council that has been given a three-year term will provide the vision and overall policy direction for the Talanta Hela Initiative and ensure commitment to Talanta Initiative at the highest level of government.

“It will review the progress, address challenges of Talanta Hela and approve the necessary policy, legislative, budgetary, regulatory and institutional framework for the successful implementation of the Talanta Hela Initiative,” said Namwamba.