Israel Saria
By Standard Correspondent
KENYA Premier League (KPL) has organised ‘Football for Unity’ matches to be held this weekend, a statement from its chairman Bob Munro said.
The KPL announced earlier that the ticket prices for all matches will be Sh20 for all fans and the total gate receipts pooled by the clubs and donated to the Kenya Red Cross to help those displaced throughout the country by the post-election violence.
In addition, the referees will donate their match fees and every KPL club will also add a club donation of at least Sh10,000 each.
Under the auspices of the Football for Hope Movement, which supports self-help Development through Football initiatives around the world, Fifa has pledged to double those combined KPL funds as part of the KPL contribution to the Kenya Red Cross.
This financial support confirms Fifa’s involvement in the re-building of Kenyan football under the leadership of KFF and KPL with the Goal programme whose second phase was just recently decided to expand the KFF headquarters and technical centre and with the “Win in Africa with Africa” initiative: artificial fields, programme to support the development of the KPL and the Kenyan clubs.
As the FIFA announcement stated, “in these difficult moments, football represents a unique tool for unity and solidarity among all Kenyans. Football is about hope!”
The nine KPL ‘Football for Unity’ matches this weekend will be played in support of the new KPL motto ‘For the good of our sport and nation’.
The new KPL logo and website will be unveiled and launched at the joint KPL/SuperSport press conference to be held today in the Ballroom at The Stanley Hotel starting at 10:30 am for 11:00 am.
Meanwhile, work to lay an artificial turf donated by world body Fifa at City Stadium will take five months to complete.
The turf will be shipped into the country from South Africa at the beginning of next month.
City Stadium manager Samuel Obiero said weather conditions in the country will also determine how long the work takes.
“It will have to be done in dry conditions. Any sort of rain in the country will delay the work progress,” he revealed.
Obiero who has just returned from Swaziland where he attended a Fifa sponsored course on the artificial turf said they are ready to begin work as soon at arrives.
The laying of the turf in every African country is part of Fifa’s “Win with Africa in Africa” initiative ahead of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The turf costs Sh42m.
Fifteen African countries, including neighbouring Tanzania, already have it.
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