Between July 14 and October 31this year, I landed the chance to follow up close to 3000 young boys and girls (under the age of 17 years) in the Airtel Rising Stars in Uganda.
It is a programme that has quickly taken shape across the entire African continent.
Moving across the country through the villages, counties and district to the regional qualifiers exposed me to knowledge about the beautiful game and its challenges embedded therein.
ARS has helped to expose some of these players unknown to the public and football scouts in particular
Patrick Bongo, a local coach based in Lira with Destiny Sports Academy, just like me acknowledges the value of the Airtel Rising Stars.
We have planned to prepare for this tournament because we are aware there is a chance to expose the young girls and boys who are in the villages since there are several scouts accompanied with this tournament.
The unearthed football talents have indeed been exposed to the scouts, a case in point; the academy and clubs’ scouts with the unquestionable eagle eyed instincts .
Already they have poached on awesome talents from as far as Adjumani, Kabale, Olila, Bukedea, Masaka, Lira, Nakasongola, Hoima, Masindi and Kumi during the respective regional qualifiers that took place across the country.
At this stage, the discovered young talented boys and girls can only be helped polish up the skills, conduct on and off the ball meanwhile they continue to attain formal education.
Tales of age cheating in this programme remains one of the biggest encumbrance surrounded but the MRI Scans have 70 percent helped to sieve out those ineligible to participate in the this underage tournament.
With the mushrooming football academies, the now operational FUFA Schools of Excellence (SOE) programme, primary and secondary schools that give 100 percent fees waivers to talented footballers, the national Copa Coca cola schools football event, national U-17 league and now the ARS, the ground to help identify and groom talents is surely fertile.
Amuza Ssali of Kiboga Progressive was an intelligent winger during the Buganda Regional qualifiers held at Masaka recreational stadium
It goes without saying, most of the most admirable football players world over had a humble beginning from where some of them played barefooted at some stage.
The conducive environs provided for the extremely targeted crop, we rest assured there is bound to be a continuously flow of talent – feeders to clubs at the Regional, FUFA Big League and elite Uganda Premier League.
All this is in the name of building sound underage teams which are definitely the main source of players to the senior national team.
The ARS Programme is a project that is bound to attract other new partners on board as we help talents be exposed and exported to the rich leagues in Europe, Asia, North and South America.
Lets support the programme wholesomely.
Where there are grey areas that require urgent check ups and immediate surgery, there is need to visit the ‘theater’ as soon as it necessitates to do the operation in a bid to clean up the mess for the growth of football from the grass roots.
For God and my country
