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The Kenya Youth Inter-County Sports Association (KYISA) was holed up in a consultative meeting at Kasarani Stadium for the better part of Wednesday to finalise preparations for this year’s eighth edition of the KYISA games.

During the meeting, National Olympic Committee Kenya (NOC-K) Secretary General Francis Mutuku and Treasurer Eliud Kariuki took the officials through NOC-K’s calendar, programmes and partnerships to promote youthful athletes at the county level.

The aim of the programmes is to spur sports development.

A total of 73 Sports County Executive Committees members, Sports Directors and officials from 31 counties attended the talks as they prepare for the April 23-30 games to be played in Tharaka-Nithi.

The annual national event targets young players at basic levels, youth with raw talent who might have missed out during the mainstream scouting opportunities in other sports like Primary School and Secondary School games

Others may not have joined leagues above the County level or have not had an opportunity to join institutions of higher learning and other elite clubs to try their luck or they have not played in Kenya Universities Sports Association (KUSA), Division 2, National Super and Premier Leagues. KYISA Secretary General who is also the Makueni Sports Director, Ambrose Kisoi, spoke on the importance of the games and the significance of NOC-K speaking to the officials.

“KYISA has the mandate to nurture and develop talents among the youth as it promotes national cohesion among communities from different counties,” Kisoi said.

NOC-K as an umbrella body is mandated to present Team Kenya at a Multi-sports event. The future of sports is in the Youth and we have to work together to develop sports. The future Team Kenya lies and depends on the structures set up at County and sub-county level,” he said.