This archive report was first published on 10 September 2021.
On September 10, 2021, Betika, the leading sports gaming firm in Kenya, launched the GrandPa 1 Milli Super Cup, a 12-week long tournament aimed at nurturing talent through sports, arts, and culture.
The tournament, which will see the winner take home Ksh350,000 courtesy of Betika, is part of the firm's efforts to support grassroots football players in Kenya.
According to Noah Yusuf, alias Refigah, the founder of GrandPA records, the tournament is a way to give back to the community and provide opportunities for young footballers to improve their lives.
'At the heart of the community, sports is a way of life with the vision of getting a better life. One of the most striking things about observing the grassroots players during their training is their enthusiasm, something that is inspired by football but not confined to it,' said Yusuf.
The tournament will feature a pool of 64 teams in Nairobi, comprising 48 male and 16 female teams, and will kick off at the end of September to mid-December.
Football Kenya Federation Nairobi West branch chairperson, Caleb Malweyi, called upon industry players to join Betika in ensuring that sportsmen and women get the necessary support in their careers.
'We also call upon other industry players and sports stakeholders to join Betika in building Kenyan sportsmen and women and supporting our own. Football in Kenya is improving and the Football Kenya Federation has always been committed to ensuring that it develops even further,' he noted.
As part of the tournament, Malweyi revealed a plan to hold mentorship clinics for the players, where they will be taken through a serious mentorship program from celebrity footballers in conjunction with Betika.
During the mentorship sessions, Malweyi noted that the industry players 'will be able to identify, nurture and expose talents amongst the players and mould the team into responsible members of the community'.
According to Kate Arudo, Betika Public Relations Manager, sports have the unique power to celebrate Kenya's common humanity.
'It brings people together – allowing them to meet each other and share a common love for the game, compete on equal terms, follow the same rules and respect differences even in competition,' said Arudo.
