Rongai All Stars Queens have secured their status as rising stars in Kenya’s women’s football landscape after winning Tujiamini Initiative Gold Award, at the South Rift Region event, pocketing half a million shillings in the process.
Speaking on Thursday at Ongata Rongai, Kajiado County, coach Daniel Kyalo said that his girls are determined to breaking down barriers in competitive community football and the lump-some cash award will be used to kit the players as well as buy new implements and improve their home pitch.
“Most of our players come from humble backgrounds. Training at the club not only helps them develop their athletic skills, but also equips them adequately to make positive decisions like resisting and staying away from social ills like teen pregnancy, early marriages and drug abuse among others,” added Kyalo reiterating the importance of investing in Women’s football at the community level as one way of solidifying the talent pipeline that can feed into national and regional football leagues through constant competitions and appearance in various tournaments.
Rongai All Stars Queens was established in 2013 and have made significant strides in women’s football,. The begun their journey in the National Super League level and developed into a powerhouse that continues to produce exceptional talent on the national and international stages.
Rebecca Odato, who currently plays for the National Under-17 side is one of the talents from the club, she made her presence known after earning a call up to the Rising Starlets team during the FIFA Under 17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.
While her colleague Rael Kamanda, moved to the top tier women’s league team , Zetch Sparks adding a page to the club’ success story.
DBA Africa, a social enterprise dedicated to changing lives through sport to leverage the mental and physical benefits of sports to teach leadership, teamwork, resilience and self-confidence to young people. It has partnered with SportPesa to run the Tujiamini Initiative. The partnership has improved the quality of women’s football in Kenya through increased support and regular exposure.
