There is no doubt that Covid-19 has disrupted major activities around the world. Business is no longer as usual. Millions of businesses have been shut, millions of people have been left jobless and there is just little hope among so many people in so many countries. But this too shall pass.
The sporting sector is one of those sectors that have received a gigantic blow from Covid-19. Major sporting activities have been postponed and canceled around the world. Although there are some hope and life of the return of live matches, it is still not clear whether that will go on for long given the magnitude of the pandemic.
Kenya carries thousands of football lovers. If there are people who are waiting for the return of live football in Kenya and around the world are Kenyans. Currently, thousands of them are just coiled in their houses playing FIFA (electronic games) or watching movies.
The return of live football will bring back life and the ecstasy that accompanies a winning team. In Kenya, the noise, the roaring, the songs, and dances will surely come back again, this time louder than before to enjoy every moment as it comes.
Chapa Dimba
If you love sports, you may have heard about Chapa Dimba Na Safaricom. For the new visitors in the old Jerusalem, Chapa Dimba Na Safaricom is a national football tournament for male and female youth aged between 16-20 years.
The aims of the tournament are to transform the lives of young people by giving them a platform to showcase their talent and an opportunity to earn from their passion. Through Chapa Dimba, so many talents have come to the surface and so many dreams that would have otherwise died unnoticed have been realized and fulfilled.
“Covid-19 has really affected football lovers. It has hit hard on us as coaches, as well as our teams. We are forced to stay indoors as we hope for the best. We were in Chapa Dimba and we had so much hope until the pandemic came knocking. One thing that is for sure is, Covid-19 might have led to the postponement of Chapa Dimba but it has not killed talent,” said Mark Okwiri, lead coach for Beijing Raider, a team that was taking part in Chapa Dimba.
Beijing Raiders is not just another name for a small and non-serious team. This is a team made of lionesses who had already secured a chance to take part in the Chapa Dimba tournament at the national levels. On Sunday, February 23rd, 2020, Beijing Raiders hammered Acakoro ladies 6-0 at the Nairobi Regional Finals to claim a spot in the National Finals.
Beijing Raiders were the Season 1 Nairobi Regional Winners whilst Acakoro ladies were the Season 2 Nairobi Region Finals winners. On Friday, 13th March 2020, Chapa Dimba Na Safaricom postponed the remaining matches until further notice, delaying Beijing Raiders’ chance to showcase their skills at the national level, and perhaps walk away with the trophy.
“Covid-19 has disrupted our training. You know how Mathare is. There are so many people and the risk of the spread is high. We stopped all our training but we are hopeful that things will be back to normal and we shall rejuvenate our purpose to take home the national trophy,” said Coach Okwiri.
What Chapa Dimba Has Done
According to Mr. Okwiri, Chapa Dimba has helped in transforming the lives of so many young people. He says there are people who never knew they had a talent until they joined Chapa Dimba. “Chapa Dimba has exposed so many raw talents to the national level. The platform has given hope in identifying and nurturing talents.”
Chapa Dimba is not beneficial to players alone. Says the Coach. “It has exposed us as coaches. People want to identify with us because they see us through televisions and appreciate whatever we are doing to develop talents. This would have not been possible was it not for Safaricom.”
What the players need
“My players need food.” Says Coach Okwiri with a deep voice of concern. He says all his players come from Mathare Slum and with Covid-19, the majority of them are struggling. Schools are closed and their parents are out looking for work so that they can put something on the table in the evening.
“If Safaricom can have a program that gives food to Chapa Dimba players coming from the slums and currently struggling, it will be the greatest blessing from heaven,” he said.
Coach Okwiri also has an appeal for Safaricom. He says his team would need some more time to train upon the resumption of the tournament. “We shall need some more time to train before the real tournament.”
“I would like to encourage Kenyans to relax. To follow what the Ministry of Health is saying, wear masks in public, observe the social distance, and wash hands with water and soap always.