Here comes the summer...

I’m reliably informed it’s snowing in Oslo so looking forward to this year’s East Africa Cup, in beautiful Moshi Tanzania, brings a warm feeling to people visiting from Europe’s long winter.

It’s partly the fact that a lot of the young people involved don’t often get the chance to travel internationally, and here they are coming together in a spirit of football and friendship: particularly when it’s young people from countries where there has been a history of conflict rather collaboration.

It’s also because before a ball is kicked the players have spent their mornings in workshops covering issues like preventative health measures and leadership skills, taught be passionate leaders who use sport for the benefit of their community.

The fairplay awards (which are taken seriously at the EAC) and cultural events put on each evening by the young people from the countries present all make this tournament special.
In fact there’s plenty for the organisers of a certain other tournament in Africa this summer could learn from this grassroots event.

Watch this space for more details on this year’s event, and if you were involved in last year’s tournament tell people about what’s happening this year – or write about it on this the Official East Africa Cup blog …