In a surprising move, the Ministry of Sports has announced that there will be no more Talanta Hela national or regional tournaments from this year onwards.

Instead, the ministry has adopted a new approach to talent identification and nurturing in the country, shifting focus to collaboration between the Kenya Academy of Sports and the existing school sports ecosystem.

This unexpected decision by Sports CS Kipchumba Murkomen marks a significant change in how the country supports emerging athletes.

While making the announcement, Murkomen clarified that organising large-scale tournaments like the Talanta Hela Under-19 is not the mandate of the Kenya Academy of Sports.

He went on to state that the academy has been directed to focus on developing young players in collaboration with the existing school sports ecosystem, run by the Kenya Primary Sports Association and the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association.

Murkomen shared this new strategy while launching a multidisciplinary sports elite training camp for youths at Aga Khan High School in Nairobi on Wednesday.

“I have directed the Kenya Academy of Sports to focus on nurturing young talent and leave older players, who have graduated from this level, to be managed and developed by their respective federations. The national tournaments we held last year, though beneficial, can now be organized by sponsors, county governments, and federations. We want the Kenya Academy of Sports to concentrate on supporting young talent in primary and secondary schools. This is our focus,” he asserted.

“As we review the Sports Act and Sports Policy, we aim to establish clear roadmaps and pathways for every sportsperson, starting from primary and secondary schools. We will then look at how universities and colleges can take over as we progress as a country.”

His remarks come a year after the inaugural Talanta Hela U-19 tournament held at Nyayo Stadium, Nairobi.

The event, initiated by his predecessor, Ababu Namwamba, has been praised for producing Kenya’s first Fifa World Cup appearance through the Junior Starlets.

From the competition, 11 players were selected for the Kenya U-17 team, coached by Mildred Cheche, which made history as the