Beach soccer players from Malindi Sub County in Kilifi County travelled to Uganda on Friday to take part in friendly matches as they prepare for the African Nation Championship (CHAN) tournament that will be held in Kenya later this year.

Billy Mwangemi the beach soccer team manager said the team of 20 players will take part in the friendly marches with Ugandan teams and was optimistic they will make it to the Kenyan national beach soccer team.

“Starting this club has really uplifted the youth and many have made it to the national team and I am very confident that with the Uganda tournament, some more will be tapped by international clubs and earn a living,” he said.

At the same time, Mwangeni said engaging the youth in beach soccer was one way of fighting drug abuse and also as an economic activity since the tournaments will expose the players to international leagues.

Speaking in Malindi town at the Buntuani waterfront park, he thanked the Kilifi County government for investing in the construction of a beach soccer arena at the Malindi Buntwani waterfront park, a stadium of its kind in East and Central Africa.

“We are very glad with our MCA Twahir for pushing hard for this team to be formed and he has been instrumental in giving hope to the players and he has even brought experts to train the team to achieve international status,” he said.

Shella Ward MCA Twahir Abdulrahman who has been behind the push to construct the beach soccer arena said that through sports, the youth in the area will shun drugs and other vices in society.

“This is one of its kind beach soccer arena and I am appealing to the Sports Ministry in the national government to also chip in and construct two more beach soccer arenas to enable us to host international matches,” he said.

Written by Alphonce Gari, TV47 correspondent