masukuma wrote:
Mark you... when I say "give up on"... I mean "government and media and national emotions" should "give up on"... the players can continue doing their thing! 15s... this is the reality - we have a limited number of resources to spend on these sports... all the examples you have given are from developed nations. Sports never developed a nation! all the countries where sports does [INSERT SOME BENEFIT OF SPORT HERE] have accrued these benefits after development/industrialisation - heck even most sports were invented in britain after industrialisation....poor people should have different goals from rich ones! So my take - let them do the best with what they have, only support them when they show that they can cut it! 7s was like that! Only support sports that seem to be serious! if football organizes itself better and proves that it deserves tax payer financing... yes... give it until then let it survive with peanuts or look for sponsorship. We don't have all the resources in the world (mark you ... just because we won a medal in sprinting does not mean we are a country of sprinters - the sprinting culture is not here... the interested individuals should ensure we have a culture there).
I am just glad you are not involved in running sports. This has to be one of the most ridiculous posts I have seen on wazua.
It is ridiculous because it has no chance in hell of happening. We do have some incompetent people running sports but none of them are crazy enough to stop funding any sport where Kenya has never reached the world cup.
Masukuma also suggests that media should stop covering football which is even more ridiculous. I am glad none of his suggestions have a snowball's chance in hell.
By the way if you want to give up on sports then please go ahead and give up. Leave this thread and spare us the misguided notions. Everyone else who is posting is still interested in local football. Stop trying to poison the well on your way out.
Sports does not develop a nation but it does provide employment opportunities and various intangible benefits. Sports are already providing employment and other benefits in Kenya so the notion that this can only happen in a developed country is bogus. Some players in Kenya are already making around Ksh 200,000 per month. Some coaches are making Ksh 600,000 per month, not to mention assistant coaches, physios, managers and so forth. In the next 5 years, these salaries could double. It was only as recently as 2008 when the top Kenya player was making around Ksh 20,000 per month.
And finally when you complain about resources being used on football, you are clueless. The government does not spend much on football nowadays. Harambee stars is typically sponsored by EABL which caters to hosting and travel expenses. FIFA also provides funding, some of which is used to fund the national team expenses. Clubs like Gor Mahia and AFC are basically on their own when they travel abroad. They often have to fund their trips by Harambees. There is little or no government help.
In fact I would venture to say football puts money in the governments hands. Remember the government taxes footballers. Government also takes a hefty cut of gate collections. And whenever a team rents a stadium for training, they pay around ksh 10,000 per day. And when a player is sold, government also takes a cut. Based on this fact alone, it would be myopic of the government to stop funding football.