There is great excitement among football fans ahead of the 2008 Premier League's kick-off this Saturday. This excitement is not misplaced.
Clubs, players, coaches, referees and fans are looking forward to a more vibrant season after the recent signing of a multi-million shilling deal between the Kenya Premier League Ltd and a South African pay television company, Supersport International.
Supersport will, for the next four years, pump in Sh945 million for marketing and broadcasting the competition which has never had any income since the exit of corporate sponsors five years ago.
Finally, clubs, players and referees will earn from participating in the competition. Further, televising the matches across Africa will market our players to leading clubs on the continent and in Europe.
The deal will also spur Kenyan clubs to operate more professionally. This, in turn, will help attract more corporate sponsorship for the erstwhile ailing clubs.
While we look forward to a good season, the officials running the show must not keep their eye off the ball and allow biased officiating, financial impropriety and other vices.With a credible management of the game, fans are bound to troop back into our stadiums and help revive the dying game.
Success in the league will be a big boost to the national team's bid to qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals whose qualification begins in four months.
Enough has been said of the Kenya Football Federation's management inadequacies. We hope the same ills will not ruin the rebirth of club football.
Showing posts with label 'Football for Unity' Kenya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 'Football for Unity' Kenya. Show all posts
Monday, February 25, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Kenya:KPL Organised Unity matches Among Top Clubs
KENYA Premier League (KPL) has organised 'Football for Unity' matches to be held this weekend, a statement from its chairman Bob Munro said.
The KPL announced earlier that the ticket prices for all matches will be Sh20 for all fans and the total gate receipts pooled by the clubs and donated to the Kenya Red Cross to help those displaced throughout the country by the post-election violence.In addition, the referees will donate their match fees and every KPL club will also add a club donation of at least Sh10,000 each.
Under the auspices of the Football for Hope Movement, which supports self-help Development through Football initiatives around the world, Fifa has pledged to double those combined KPL funds as part of the KPL contribution to the Kenya Red Cross.
This financial support confirms Fifa's involvement in the re-building of Kenyan football under the leadership of KFF and KPL with the Goal programme whose second phase was just recently decided to expand the KFF headquarters and technical centre and with the "Win in Africa with Africa" initiative: artificial fields, programme to support the development of the KPL and the Kenyan clubs.
As the FIFA announcement stated, "in these difficult moments, football represents a unique tool for unity and solidarity among all Kenyans. Football is about hope!"
The nine KPL 'Football for Unity' matches this weekend will be played in support of the new KPL motto 'For the good of our sport and nation'.
The new KPL logo and website will be unveiled and launched at the joint KPL/SuperSport press conference to be held today in the Ballroom at The Stanley Hotel starting at 10:30 am for 11:00 am.
Meanwhile, work to lay an artificial turf donated by world body Fifa at City Stadium will take five months to complete.
The turf will be shipped into the country from South Africa at the beginning of next month.
City Stadium manager Samuel Obiero said weather conditions in the country will also determine how long the work takes.
"It will have to be done in dry conditions. Any sort of rain in the country will delay the work progress," he revealed.Obiero who has just returned from Swaziland where he attended a Fifa sponsored course on the artificial turf said they are ready to begin work as soon at arrives.
The laying of the turf in every African country is part of Fifa's "Win with Africa in Africa" initiative ahead of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The turf costs Sh42m.
Fifteen African countries, including neighbouring Tanzania, already have it.
The KPL announced earlier that the ticket prices for all matches will be Sh20 for all fans and the total gate receipts pooled by the clubs and donated to the Kenya Red Cross to help those displaced throughout the country by the post-election violence.In addition, the referees will donate their match fees and every KPL club will also add a club donation of at least Sh10,000 each.
Under the auspices of the Football for Hope Movement, which supports self-help Development through Football initiatives around the world, Fifa has pledged to double those combined KPL funds as part of the KPL contribution to the Kenya Red Cross.
This financial support confirms Fifa's involvement in the re-building of Kenyan football under the leadership of KFF and KPL with the Goal programme whose second phase was just recently decided to expand the KFF headquarters and technical centre and with the "Win in Africa with Africa" initiative: artificial fields, programme to support the development of the KPL and the Kenyan clubs.
As the FIFA announcement stated, "in these difficult moments, football represents a unique tool for unity and solidarity among all Kenyans. Football is about hope!"
The nine KPL 'Football for Unity' matches this weekend will be played in support of the new KPL motto 'For the good of our sport and nation'.
The new KPL logo and website will be unveiled and launched at the joint KPL/SuperSport press conference to be held today in the Ballroom at The Stanley Hotel starting at 10:30 am for 11:00 am.
Meanwhile, work to lay an artificial turf donated by world body Fifa at City Stadium will take five months to complete.
The turf will be shipped into the country from South Africa at the beginning of next month.
City Stadium manager Samuel Obiero said weather conditions in the country will also determine how long the work takes.
"It will have to be done in dry conditions. Any sort of rain in the country will delay the work progress," he revealed.Obiero who has just returned from Swaziland where he attended a Fifa sponsored course on the artificial turf said they are ready to begin work as soon at arrives.
The laying of the turf in every African country is part of Fifa's "Win with Africa in Africa" initiative ahead of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The turf costs Sh42m.
Fifteen African countries, including neighbouring Tanzania, already have it.
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