A big stride has been made. In the quest to plan, spread out, invest, promote, market, and also facilitate a conscious development of the game of beach soccer from the grass root level across East Africa, a regional association has been formed by the key beach soccer stakeholders in the area.
The beach soccer umbrella bringing together all the twelve East African nations has been named Africa Beach Soccer Union – East Zone (ABSU – East Zone), and will provisionally have its headquarters in Kampala City, Uganda but will later shift to Nairobi – Kenya to work closely with the regional football body – CECAFA.
On Wednesday, eight dignitaries from four East African countries held a general meeting via zoom to give birth to the regional union. They included; ABSU first vice president – Deo Mutabazi from Uganda, Mr. Ali Mwebe who is the deputy chairman technical development committee at ABSU, and the FIFA Regional Technical Consultant East and Central Africa, and Mr. Jonathan Kassano from Tanzania. Kassano acts as the representative of the East African region at ABSU.
Twaher Abdul Karim (Kenya), Joel Balisidya (Tanzania), Shahib Said Shahib (Kenya), Alexis Harimensha (Burundi), and former Harambee Starlets’ defender Terry Ouko (Kenya) also attended the virtual gathering.
As a result, an 11 member executive committee, as well as six standing committees, were constituted. The standing committees that were created are; competitions committee, Technical and development, marketing, finance, communication, and women’s committee.
Executive committee members:
Uganda’s Deo Mutabazi was appointed as the president of the ABSU –East Zone and will be deputized by Alexis Harimensha (Burundi), and Terry Ouko (Kenya) as the first, and second vice president, respectively.
Eight more officials were also nominated to serve on the executive body as members, and these include; Ali Mwebe (Uganda), Joel Balisidya (Tanzania), Twaher Abdul Karim (Kenya), Achuil Dot Ador (South Sudan), Kassano Jonathan (Tanzania), Jamal Ahmed (Somalia), Vivian Oray (Kenya), and Mghendi Gabriel (Kenya).
Standing committees:
The executive unanimously agreed to create six sub committees of three members each, but the number will be increased to five members per standing committee in the future.
Below are the committees constituted:
Competitions Committee
Chairperson – Alexis Harimensha (Burundi)
Member – Shahib Said Shahib (Kenya)
Member – Rose Msamira (Tanzania).
Technical and Development Committee
Chairperson – Kassano Jonathan (Tanzania)
Member – Sultan Swalley (Kenya)
Member – Ndikuriyo Samuel (Burundi)
Marketing Committee
Chairperson – Achuil Dot Ador (South Sudan)
Member – Tamale Joseph (Uganda)
Member – Jamal Ahmed (Somalia)
Finance Committee
Chairperson – Mghendi Gabriel (Kenya)
Member – Joel Balisidya (Tanzania)
Member –Twaher Abdul Karim (Kenya)
Communications Committee
Chairperson – Vivian Oray (Kenya)
Member – Majojo Hambali (Uganda)
Member – Janat Motah (Kenya)
Women’s Committee
Chairperson –Terry Ouko (Kenya)
Member –Vivian Oray (Kenya)
Member –Dorothy Nakanwagi (Uganda).
ABSU –East Zone is an affiliate of the Africa Beach Soccer Union (ABSU), and will administer, control, organise, develop, and promote beach soccer activities in East Africa.