Government to integrate kabaddi into school curriculum

The
government of Kenya through the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and
Sports, has announced plans to integrate Kabaddi into the school curriculum.

While hosting the triumphant Kenyan Kabaddi
team from their victory at the Africa Championship, Cabinet Secretary Ababu
Namwamba revealed the plan saying the sport is fast gaining popularity in the
country.

The Kenya Kabaddi team is fresh off their victory at the Africa Championship,
having defeated Uganda 44-23 at Kasarani indoors in Nairobi.

While assuring them of the government’s commitment to support their course,
Namwamba highlighted plans to embed Kabaddi into the school co-curricular ecosystem.

“The first thing we are going to do is to see how to integrate Kabaddi in
the school co-curricular ecosystem so that during the school games, Kabaddi can
also be a sport,” he stated.

Namwamba also elaborated on the long-term vision that will help develop the
game in Kenya, emphasizing the importance of establishing a continuous flow of
talent.

“We will spread the game across the country and build a formidable talent
pipeline coming through all the way from the school ecosystem to the national
level. This will ensure a steady stream of talents from schools to colleges, to
clubs, and ultimately to the national ecosystem,” he said.

Namwamba underscored the role of sports in promoting Kenya’s image globally.

 
“Sports are the most significant export that Kenya sends to the world.
It’s what markets Kenya more than anything else. Kenya is best known around the
world as a sporting country, and you are now part of that very proud heritage
of great sportsmen and women who fly our flag.”

He also highlighted the broader vision for sports development in Kenya.

“We
want to support all sports because it’s an important platform for our young
people and youth. It’s also a great unifier that brings our people together.
And now, sports is a big industry for us that we want to commercialize to
generate jobs and support livelihood for our young people,” he added.