The tournament makes its return for the first time since 2019.
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) in conjunction with Safaricom officially launched season four of the Chapa Dimba tournament at the Camp Toyoyo in Nairobi on Saturday.
The tournament makes its return for the first time since 2019, following an enforced break due to the Covid-19 Pandemic in 2020 and the decision by immediate former Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed to disband the federation.
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The club are rooted to the bottom of the log standings with six points from eight matches.
In its fourth edition, Safaricom has doubled up its prize money from Ksh10 million to Ksh20M with 32 best boys and girls from the eight regions of the country earning a trip to Spain.
Speaking at the launch, FKF president Nick Mwendwa was quick to stress the importance of Chapa Dimba to the development of football in Kenya both collectively and individually.
“Chapa Dimba is a very important tournament because of its impact on the Kenyan society,” he said, “A kid from Kilifi with no basic needs like football boots gets to express himself using this platform and another from Kapenguria will get the chance to play football,” Mwendwa added.
“We want to give these children the opportunity to showcase their talents. Even some of the best African players to ever kick a ball, the likes of Drogba, Eto’o, and Asamoah Gyan came from these grassroots levels. They too can be the next big stars.”
Mwendwa was quick to thank Safaricom for their willingness to continue investing in the tournament, showing belief and trust in his recently reinstated federation.
“I would like to thank Safaricom for their confidence in the federation and willingness to invest in yet another season of Chapa Dimba.”
Safaricom CEO, Peter Ndegwa stressed Safaricom’s willingness to invest into Kenyan football through such initiatives.
“Today is a special day. The previous tournaments were successful, having attracted 30,000-40,000 players previously. It is bigger and better. There is a lot of excitement. We want to give youths hope given the fact that the economy is not in great shape.
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The event will be held for the first time after the COVID-19 pandemic halted proceedings in 2020
“It is important to allow them to create an environment where they can compete but also have a team to deliver for the future.”
Chapa Dimba na Safaricom is a national football tournament for male and female youth aged between 16-20 years. The aims of the tournament are to transform the lives of young people by giving them a platform to showcase their talent and an opportunity to earn from their passion.