Homa Bay County has signed and agreement with Austria to build a football academy at a cost of $3.5 million (Sh456 million).
The academy will combine academics, sports and character development.
Already the county has set aside 20 acres for construction of the centre, at Kome village in Kanyamwa Kosewe ward in Ndhiwa sub-County.
The centre will be the first of its kind in the country.
Home Bay Governor Gladys Wanga signed a memorandum of understanding with Austrian Ambassador to Kenya Christian Fellner and Acakoro Football Academy General Manager Luka Mott at the county headquarters on Tuesday.
Selected children with the requisite talent will be hosted in the facility where they will obtain free basic education while being trained in football and other games.
It is envisaged that at the end of the training the selected youngsters will be connected to professional football clubs to further their careers.
Mott announced that work will begin immediately. “Nothing of its kind is in the region and we hope to make the dreams of future footballers come true,” he said.
He further said: “A beneficiary can be selected to go to a European academy to sharpen his skills. Not everyone will make it as a football player but we promise to provide good education.”
Construction will be done in phases. In the first phase, the project will have buildings constructed to accommodate 42 children aged between six and 14 years.
When complete the academy will have four football pitches.
Mott said the number will increase gradually and all of them will have medical cover among other benefits.
“Beneficiaries will graduate when they are 18 years old,” he added.
Priority will be given to children from Homa Bay.
“We will start with two football fields, classrooms for primary school.
“We will later put up classrooms for secondary school students alongside staff houses and administration blocks,” said Mott.
Families living around the academy will also benefit from the project as a dispensary will be set up to serve the local population.
“There will be creation of jobs and business opportunities for residents,” said Wanga.
