Coach Ouma chuffed at Sh10 million league sponsorship, predicts better times

Chief WriterWomen Football

Harambee Starlets head coach David Ouma believes that the Sh10 million sponsorship which was channeled to the Women Premier League by the federation will spur growth of the league which has been without a sponsor.

On July 16, Football Kenya Federation unveiled a Sh1.2 billion sponsorship deal with a Nigerian gaming firm to sponsor the Kenyan Premier League, with the license fee, projected to be in the tune of Sh10 million annually being wired to the women competition.

On a phone interview with Citizen Digital, Ouma hailed the federation for the steps taken in ensuring the women’s league, which has suffered for long without a sponsor benefits from the sponsorship package, and urged other stakeholders to join the cause.

“It’s a fantastic move by our FKF president Nick Mwendwa to get this sponsorship and fulfill his pledge in 2016 when he said the women league will be accorded equal treatment as the men team.

He added: “The little sponsorship which was there that time and the government’s input is the reason why our clubs and national teams have been performing greatly. So it’s a very strong development for women football.”

Ouma however added that many of the women players are now turning professional and the additional financial boost will inspire many of them to keep working hard with the aim of joining the top ranks in Europe.

“Many of our players are now turning professional and this is a dream of any leadership to see their players making careers out of the game. For me, as a coach, being in the Premier League for 17 years and making the transition to the women national team fully, my ambition was to turn women football to get the seriousness it deserves.

As a youth coach I have coached over 100 boys and 54 girls who are now spread in America and Europe. I am thanking God because I see the trend spreading.”

Starlets who were preparing to take part in the 2020 Awcon qualifier matches had to drop the plans after the Confederation of African Football (Caf) decided to cancel the tournament which was slated for  November  in DR Congo and approved the creation of the first ever Africa Women’s Champions League amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sports activities in the country remain halted since March 2020 after the first case of the Corona virus was announced but that could soon change as the sector toys with the return-formula.

Sports Cabinet Secretary Ambassador Amina Mohammed on Monday August 24 released draft guidelines in a detailed report on sports resumption, inviting stakeholders to submit more views for review before a resumption-work-plan can be rolled out.