By Charles Tjatindi
WINDHOEK
A young man’s dream of starting up a football academy that will develop and groom young potential footballers in the Omusati Region is facing a bleak future due to lack of funding.
Future Footballers, a soccer academy founded by Imms Kalimba with the aim of engaging young males aged 15 to 21 in developmental soccer activities, has been struggling to meet its operational costs since its inception in June this year.
Despite its poor financial showing however, the academy has so far managed to register 150 young males, who will be taken through the ropes by experienced coaches and soccer instructors from the region.
According to the project coordinator of the academy, Imms Kalimba, the academy is in the process of establishing linkages with the national football governing body, the NFA for possible cooperation.
“We were referred to Mr Seth Boois, whom we spoke to about how they can help us develop the academy,” said Kalimba. The project coordinator noted that his academy has received a lot of support from the local soccer community, with most community members optimistic that such an initiative can benefit them a lot.
The academy provides ongoing developmental soccer clinics to young males, who are taken through various stages of skills and discipline training.
Kalimba, who has in the past received some basic training in development coaching clinics from then technical instructor of the Brave Warriors, Peter Uberjan, noted that what started as a good cause to keep mainly school-going children occupied and away from immoral activities, is now facing a possible closing down if financial support is not forthcoming soon enough.
“We are therefore appealing to any organization or individuals to assist us,” pleaded Kalimba.
Given enough financial assistance, the Future Footballer’s founder believes that his project will contribute a lot to the advancement of football in the region.
“This is really a good project, people that invest in it will never go wrong,” concluded Kalimba.