Chiamaka Ekeh
Kariobangi Sharks Youth Team head coach Beldine Odemba and Feisal Marleen Starlets FC’s Feisal Abdi Hassan have been shortlisted in the WorldRemit Future Stars 2019.
Odemba and Abdi are shortlisted with other six candidates, including Bakit Isaac Agogo and Joan Nabisenke (Uganda), Luis Alejandro and Vivian Johana (Colombia), Samuel Taylor (Ghana) and Chinasa Ukandu (Nigeria).
According to WorldRemit, Odemba’s greatest satisfaction is teaching life skills to young people.
Currently, she serves in the National U20 Women team technical bench.
Odemba’s life in coaching came through her brother’s passion for football, having worked as a volunteer and professional.
Hassan, on the other hand, was a professional footballer having played for Langata Gremio FC and has also taught both boys and girl teams.
Currently, he’s coaching the 12 to 19 year-olds in Nairobi and believes that football can be used to motivate youths as a powerful tool to reduce crime.
The WorldRemit is the official online money transfer partner of the English Premier League side Arsenal.
The eight finalists were judged based on the following criteria;
• The commitment of the coach to improving the lives of their community
• The impact on young people within their community
• The strength of the coach’s proposal to pass on their training on their return home if they win the program.
The Kariobangi Sharks Youth Team coach is hoping to share her experiences with local community coaches back home for sports development if she clinches the female Future Stars award.
On the other hand, the Marleen Starlets FC coach Hassan hope is to improve women’s football if presented with the male Future Stars award.
This year’s edition of the Future Stars program received over 1,400 online applications from across Africa and the Americas.
Voting for this year’s second edition is now open, and public vote can be done on www.futurestars.worldremit.com.
All eyes are now on if the Kenyan trio will win to get a chance to attend a personalized training in London with the Arsenal Football Development coaches.
