WPL players to receive monthly awards
Kefwa Recruitment and Welfare officer Victor Ashinga (left) hands over a branded T-shirt to one of the players during a recent recuritment drive. PHOTO | TERESA CALLEB |
What you need to know:
- Kefwa’s Recruitment and Welfare officer Victor Ashinga, who will be heading the project which will roll out in March, said they decided to focus on the WPL since they have been overlooked for years.
Outstanding players in the Football Kenya Federation Women's Premier League (KWPL) will for the first time in history receive monthly awards.
This is after the Kenya Footballers’ Welfare Association (Kefwa) initiated a program, named Players for Players’ Award, aimed at consistently recognising the most outstanding players so as to boost the level of competition and morale in the league.
Kefwa Recruitment and Welfare officer Victor Ashinga, who will be heading the project which will roll out in March, said they decided to focus on the WPL since they have been overlooked for years.
Ashinga also said the monthly awards will culminate into an end year gala where winners in different categories will be feted.
“As a sports person it is always good to be rewarded and our girls have been entertaining and making us proud over the years, yet have not had an opportunity to be rewarded for the good job. Kefwa has always had plans to start awarding our members through Players for Players’ Award where the players are the ones who vote,” said the former Shabana midfielder.
STATS
Ashinga said the power is in the hands of the players to choose amongst themselves who they feel deserve the awards. There will however be guiding statistics to aid the selection process.
“Voting materials will be sent to all the teams every month and each player get voting cards. We can only hope that the process will be as smooth as possible even though we cannot rule out challenges, which I am sure will offer good lessons going forward,” he added.
Eldoret Falcons chairman Joshua Ariko welcomed the move, and believes that players will be motivated and the level of competition will go up.
“I always tell my players that a time will come when the Women Premier League will be a prestigious league. The current players don’t have to be the ones benefitting since if you plant a tree you don’t expect to sit under its shed, but I am sure better days are ahead of us,” Ariko said.
This comes days after Kefwa partnered with the Johanna Omolo Foundation to distribute sanitary towels to Women League clubs, as well as facilitate Menstrual Hygiene Management sessions to the players.
Notably, in 2019, WPL top scorer and Vihiga Queens forward Teresa Engesha bagged the maiden Kefwa Player of the Year award after netting 36 goals.
