 That exclusive interview between Kusimba Oregonja ofko e Angela Ogutweidheniz, Kenyan sensation, is coming to Yukatasov kbc digital and ofko we will get in more of such content on the platform, as the show progresses. Good afternoon and welcome back to the touchline. Nami is Max Olosika and this time around, we want to speak about the state of rugby in the country and joining us is one man who joins an integral part, as far as rugby is concerned. Kenyan Rugby Union Directs of Youth Development. Kusken Andrew is still with us. Good to see you Mali Mkomba, how are you doing? Ya, I'm okay. You are keeping well? Ya, I'm doing well. Thank you for inviting me for the show. Have you been? Ya, I've been good. The last time we met, we were having a test match going on and England lost badly to South Africa and they have now parted way with the coach Johnson. I'm so unfortunate to part ways. It looks like it's a season of high and fire. When a manager performs badly, their services get relinquished. Ya, it's so unfortunate to England now that they only have nine months to the World Cup and now they are struggling to get a new coach to come and work with the team. And you know England are former champions also. I'm so unfortunate for such a big nation to be struggling at such a time. Ya, but it happens probably they want to put the house in order and they feel that probably they can get a good guy who will take them to the World Cup. They still believe having lost South Africa in 2019 finals in Japan when the media had praised them and they all knew that England was going to try South Africa but it went the other way around, the spring box ran over them. So probably now they want to see now. Things are not working out well. They lost the spring box, they won again one of this match last year but this year the spring box have come back to win the match now and it's just a few months to the World Cup. So now they need to organise themselves now. A few minutes ago Ken, my co-host was loud in Cabinet Secretary for Sports Ababuna Mamba for being practical in terms of addressing the challenges facing sports in the country. We remember a few weeks ago there were concerns and you know Kenya National Sevens players took to Twitter to air out their grievances regarding unpaid allowance and salaries before they travelled to Dubai for HSBC World Seven series and I think a day later Ababuna Mamba met the Kenyaragubi Union fraternity alongside representatives of players, coaches to see how they can work together in addressing the stalemate. Talk to us, what really happened, what really transpired because other people blamed Kenyaragubi Union for sleeping on the job? Not really, I think probably we have a new government and the new government has just come in and when we look at the manifest of the government the government in place now is when they are talking about the sports they are saying that the government is going to work together and we know that normally the national teams are taken care by the government the government takes care of the national teams and we are happy that I think the issue addressed and the minister came in and showed the players and now everything is in place but that's what we want to see in Kenya once the sport grows in that particular direction where the national team, they are being funded by the government the way it's appeared in the manifesto I think it makes our country to be great and also grow in sports and where we don't have the complaints from the athletes who are representing our country and it also happened in rugby which is I think something good and we've seen the boys have settled and now they are playing because I think they are worried existing really coming out and when we had a meeting and in fact we saw the water sports minister saying he was in the wire but now he got assured and we sat down with the union officials and everything was put in place I think now it's okay I think obviously he set out to I don't know things in rugby but the question will go back to the KRU itself again because there were still talks of unpaid dues the players, a lot of it coming back coming back to bite KRU because even so the team I think the Simbas put on Instagram fundraising and all how do we ensure that that happened because the meeting happened with the CS how do we ensure that this does not happen again okay I think people particularly know that we've come from a very difficult position and the issue of COVID I know COVID stopped everything and now after COVID people are trying to come up and even the companies also I think they had issues with the COVID issues because the profit went down and they were trying to restructure and initially even before COVID we used to have quite a number of sponsors with the union but even clubs but actually all the sports and if when you look at some of the federation actually they are also struggling and now once COVID now the situation now is normalizing and some people are coming back the companies are also coming back now to sponsor but see now once the sponsorship has collapsed now I think that's where now the issues where the federation had some issues with at least the inflow of the funds but see now things are settling and it has taken over the issue of the sports now I think we will not be having the issues with the payment of the players but I think we just also come from the election and the way the minister I think pointed out but I think now so far so good some guy here called Wilberforce is watching and I think is asking asking Malimo what do we do to you know bring back the sponsors that were witnessed on board some time ago when we had the likes of Harukom Tazka KQ on board under the leadership of of I don't know I'm not getting the spellings right I think he's meaning the eras back while we had the corporate as mentioned they are on board sponsoring rugby activities Safari 7 and the likes of Bamburi sponsoring super series I think we are in talks and we also understand the situation because these have been guys with rugby and they have been sponsoring rugby and once you talk they also be able to explain look at the difficult situation we've come from but give us time some time we'll be back because we love the game and some time you can even see some probably they give small some small sponsorship but you see now that's not enough but I think with time as we grow up just one year from away from COVID but now two three years things will be able to normalize things will be okay but what is saying we are in talks with those companies and they are happy and they have been sponsoring the game Ken I think Kenya Rai Biyunon has been one of the most well managed federations it was one of the local sports federations to first comply with the sports act 2013 while others are still struggling but generally there is this aspect of corporate they want to pump a lot of resources into the game but lately that hasn't been witnessed not only with rugby but even various sporting disciplines football as well you will remember the betting firms pulling out which proper policy can we put in place to ensure that you know now sponsors and corporates come on but they get enticed of course there is that value of aspect for your money and putting my money into the Safari 7 because at the RFU grounds it will be filled to the rafters and you know for those people who are passionate about for the liquid at the one coming on board they will see something but which policy do you think that can be put in place to entice corporates I think that will fall back to the sports years right now you know to try and have some form of you know taxation you know a little bit of taxation on people who come on board to help the sports because especially you know something like rugby it is they travel almost every weekend you know they shuja, they are playing HSBC they simbas you know they have just come from the reputation you know they have all this you know advertising power that has not been capitalized by a lot of companies maybe because you know sometimes number one you know you don't know the performance so you might be afraid when sometimes when you put your money you expect performance so maybe if the government can find a way to ensure they put a certain amount of money that is lesser they get taxed lesser than what they usually will you know so that they can keep pumping money into the clubs because with rugby I feel like it is the sport in Kenya that has a lot of lights and you know everything on them you watch Las Vegas, Kenyan fans are in Las Vegas, in Dubai you know you only see Kenyan flags so you know that's a market they want to go back to you know as Malingwa said they came from COVID it's come from election you know the government has cut down its tools it started working so I think those are areas they should look and also corporates should not fear trying to get their brand out there as much as possible you know it might not be a loss but people who watch sport actually do pay attention to these things if they see a sponsor on a shirt they buy the shirt and they don't know them I guarantee you that they will google and find out exactly what they do you know for that sort of awareness maybe even use their products loyalty sport is something we see every time and everywhere across the world so you know they should not shun and the government has to help these clubs across the board all sports you know to trend bring in corporates to not fear to do this thing well put out sentiments indeed and you know in Kenya it's only two sporting disciplines that market Kenya globally they raise our flag high it's athletics and rugby because every time we participating in the HSBC World Seven series and Kenya is playing against the heavyweights in Fiji Samoa New Zealand South Africa Springboks actually people say that you know apart from springboks of South Africa shuja is the second best I think seven side in the African continent and athletics too in the likes of valued kipchoga faith kipyagon are playing do you think we should capitalise on that advertisement aspect of our sportsmen to market the game and even bring a lot of resources that would push and advocate for the successful running of operations of the game Ya I think that's a key area because now once the sports are doing well and you know people companies and corporate institution always concentrating on the winning teams and the teams that are doing well and actually one where rugby is not exception is one of the sports that are doing well the way you've said and actually we are the second rugby playing nation behind South Africa holding but Kenya takes portion two in terms of the numbers in terms of the games and also representing the African continent both in men and women and that's why you can be able to see and the way you said the sponsors are coming back you've come the way I've explained about the Covid and you can be able to see even when the boys are playing today in Cape Town 7s you can see the jazzy they use in Dubai is different from the jazzy they use in South Africa because the sponsors have come in we have now sport pesa so that tells us that the corporates are coming back into the game and that's why I've said about the other guy who asked we are in talks with those corporate institution and probably by the end of the season we'll be having quite a number of them appearing on the on the kit of the players so I think it's a key area the way you've said players normally play a big role and it's not exception because we've seen even the previous years we've seen Jeff O'Lodge one of the big guys when Injera was playing they are appearing on the billboards here in town so that tells us these are the guys we should be able to use them to market the game because corporates want to share them into marketing their products so they can get value of what they have invested into the game now let's talk about what is happening as far as Cape Town 7s is concerned not a good outing for the Kenyan lads in Shujandadami and the same happened as well last weekend in Dubai 7 what do you think we should give the technical bench and boys time as well Kenyans like grumbling and they want quick results so when it delays the green patient we've started well and can be able to see how they played in Hong Kong and now they've come down to South Africa the pool was a bit tough we went down to Argentina 19-5 and down to New Zealand 31-5 but we were to play Spain but now that means we are out of the main cup quarters because now Spain it will pay it's been a while since we called for it to the main cup quarters right but last in Dubai we were very close but I know as we progress on I think there was a new players that have come in they can be able to see like Abokuse who have come in we also have Roni of Moambak who has also been brought in by the coach so I think this players Bob Muhati of KBC he's also joined in so what we are going to see probably the next fourth and the fifth league Kenyans will be playing well and that's what the rules have been our norm when you look at how she just have played by the fifth season the boys have chilled and now that's where the world now fears the Kenyan team because now they are all round to win the games and you'll be able to find them consecutive matches if they maintain the consistency they will be in the main cup probably 3-4 consecutive before now at the end where now the boys normally I don't know what happens but because now we change over the coach and coach now is jailing well with the players coming up with his best team so we'll be able to see that how it's progressing and you saw last weekend in Dubai how they brought down to England, scored the last minute and we also drew in Australia and Australia remember they were the champions of Hong Kong so I think things will be okay I think from Cape Town it will come down now to have training but move the third and the fourth and the fifth series the team will be okay Ken having followed the game closely and being a product of high school that chance a lot of talents in rugby and football and as well to some of these national teams do you think we missing that era of the likes of Colin Sinjera, Andrew Armonde Biko Adema Afrika Yange, the legend himself and the transition has not been quite smooth I know that eras come to an end we had all those great players but we've also moved to I feel like a squad which can work better than even the last time because they've had enough time playing rugby across the high schools and even these days we see a lot of rugby in universities that's somewhere which has really grown in the past so I feel like a better squad can come of it than the previous one I think what might be Aileen is the little bit of experience the little bit of know-how that you can make little mistakes and also everything is sort of new still in general as the Haiyanges at all, a great coach and the squad themselves seriously seasoned experienced players at the time so we just have to have belief in this squad because I know a lot of young players not only from high school but even from universities are coming into the national team so it's just how the coach decides to use them and the local season is ongoing so even from 15 you can pitch a couple of players who you'd feel like they'd be better playing 7s than 15s we can see a lot of them in the championship and all so the squad can be built, it's just the amount of time because as you said people in Kenyans, they get a patient Quick results Madima I'm sure you are in agreement you read from the same script with them the blend of youth and experience in our national teams both Simbas and Shijia is something that is welcome it's working out and the players who played for some time we need to appreciate the likes of Inger and the amount of course they led the team and we can be able now to see how the other guys have taken over I think these are guys and Haman Umwa you see now the way they are leading the new guys who are coming in it's unfortunate for Onyala who has been sent on injury but others also be able to step in and I think which is also trying to feel Onyala had stepped up so well and so how he played in Hong Kong I think he played so well but now I think what you are saying is just about how the union has package itself and preparing for future the way they want to identify the players and recently I think last month we had a press court I think this is something that had not happened a national press court tournament that was held at Kenya rugby union and these were brought players from and they hosted by Kenya rugby union and Kenya had footed the tournament so you can be able to see why was that bring because now they were able to select the players and the players will be brought to the camp so now this we will be able to put under 20 the national team for under 20 so now when come to 2027 and 2031 World Cup you see now we already have a young team that was well prepared and they played together they have gelled and the coach and okay be able to improve on their skills so that's what the union does and that's preparation what Nani is doing as much as we have the club but we also look at the future these are young guys that will be able to take up the national team in the future so we go back to schools and probably even to see in South Africa and in Australia and New Zealand the schools play a big role and what normally do the federations normally identify the talents and that's now they grow up to come to the national team that's it like Makenzi was playing in high school and you can be able to track down misrequad for the national team and it's one of the big guys in the New Zealand national team now so the same applies to the union and that's the mechanism that we are putting in place as much as KAA say one of our biggest they call us doing their role but the union now also steps in up because now we know now we take the right direction for this particular by players put them in the same group and put them already in the national team perspective and participation so bring elite coaches to be able to identify and be able to put the right skills on these young players and also we also doing the training of the teachers so initially we were just training the teachers but now we also having now S&C for the schools because conditioning of these young guys is not done properly the coaches goes there to coach but now we also have one schools to have S&C guys within their regions so when they come to the national team they are ready to feed and they can be able to feed the national team 100% of our country in the right direction definitely of course we coming back after the commercial break Malimu combo Kenya rugby union in charge of youth development speaking to us and when it comes to matters nurturing talent is so passionate and quite an expert because that is a area of specialization ensuring that you know those who showcase prowess at a tender edge get to you know be followed by the player at the bigger stages they grow and is also the founder of Kumbhara's rugby football club which has played an immense role in the development of the sport don't go away stay tuned we take a commercial break and we will be back to continue with the state of rugby in the country and talk a little bit of Kenya cup action which is currently underway