Karia champions on youth sport academies

DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA Football Federation (TFF) president Wallace Karia has underscored the role of youth sports academies in developing football talent, urging families to see them as platforms for structured growth rather than escape routes from domestic issues.

Speaking at a media briefing in Dar es Salaam, Karia raised concerns about a growing perception among some parents who enrol their children in academies not to nurture ability but to remove them from difficult home settings.

“Sports academies are not day-care centres or shelters from family problems. They are places where young people receive training, discipline and guidance to become professionals,” said Karia.

To respond to this trend, he noted that many academies have introduced modest fees. These, he said, are not meant to block access but to ensure children are enrolled for the right reasons.

“These fees help academies maintain coaching, improve facilities and offer an environment that supports development,” he explained.

Karia added that the collected funds are used to improve infrastructure, hire trained coaches and upgrade equipment steps aimed at raising the standard of training. He also addressed the issue of age falsification, a recurring problem in youth football.

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Some players under 20 have reportedly submitted false information; a practice he said harms the credibility of competitions and blocks genuine prospects.

“Age cheating weakens the system and denies real talents a fair chance. We’re working with academies to apply stricter checks,” he said.

Karia emphasised that academies should go beyond physical training and support wider development, including access to schooling and social services.

“We want players who are not only skilled but also prepared for life off the pitch. Academies that include formal education in their programmes have TFF’s full support,” he said.

He concluded by calling on families to see youth sports as a structured path to a career and reiterated TFF’s commitment to building a system that supports talent from the grassroots level.