Meru, Monduli stamp authority in Women’s Probono League

ARUSHA: MERU and Monduli stamped authority in the Game Changer Probono League  that  drew over  240 youth from 13 Primary and Secondary schools from Arusha Region.

Meru won the Primary School category while Monduli claimed the top honour in the Secondary School’s category.

Organized by the Future Stars Sports Academy of Arusha in association with the region’s based- schools, the league features girl footballers aged between 8 and 20 years, attending Primary and Secondary Schools.

Supported by Probono, the girls’ soccer league was staged at the Youth Empowerment Centre, with the aim of promoting female students’ participation in sports.

The Future Stars Academy (FSA) Manager, Abel Mtweve said they want to also ensure that the community realizes the importance of allowing the girls to enjoy the same opportunities accorded to the boys.

Amani Primary School of Usa-River, in Meru District, emerged the winner of the Primary School category in the Probono league winning all matches with a cumulative 9 points, beating Tengeru Primary, Tengeru English Medium and the hosts, Future Stars.

For the Secondary Schools category, the league was played twice, the first fixture was played in Arusha city, involving Edmund Rice, Olorien, Kaloleni, Losirway and Saint Mary’s Duluti Secondary School but the urban teams were defeated before finals.

The second fixture was staged in Monduli District, featuring the Maasai Girls, Irkisongo, Sokoine and Kipok Secondary School.

According to the organizers, it was the Monduli teams that managed to get into the finals where Irkisongo Secondary School took the ultimate trophy.

“During the league we identified some of the most capable players,” said Mtweve, adding that the only challenge is that most of them are attending boarding schools and may not have enough time to practice.

“We therefore advised the teachers to allow them to come to the center to exercise during school breaks or holidays,” added the Future Stars Manager.

He maintained that those who complete secondary education can always attend practice sessions at the Youth Empowerment Center and further cultivate their skills.

ALSO READ: Twiga Stars, job is only half done

But prior to the matches, Future Stars in conjunction with Probono, conducted special sports training for primary and secondary school teachers.

“We trained tutors on coaching, how to handle children, first aid and facility management,” said Mtweve, adding that all participating schools were awarded with netball and soccer balls.