Former Harambee Stars striker Mike Okoth (left) with Sportswoman of the year Hellen Obiri (centre) and Safaricom head of strategy and innovation Joseph Ogutu during the SOYA awards gala in Nairobi on Wednesday. (photo/DPPS)
Former Harambee Stars striker Mike Okoth has appealed to the government to introduce sports education in the Kenyan curriculum in a bid to help boost the activity in the country amd help students exploit their full potential.
Speaking during the awards gala for the Sports Personality of the Year Awards (SOYA) on Wednesday at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC),the former Kenyan international lamented that the current curriculum where sports is provided for as an extra-curriculum activity had wasted many young people as they are not in a position to fully exploit their potential.
"It is high time sports is taken seriously and from personal experience,I can attest how far one can travel with sports.Sports in schools helps the physical and mental development.It also teaches the young ones to deal with success and failure.If we work collectively with the aim of elevating sports then we shall definitely produce more world beaters," he said.
The 50-year-old is best remembered for his goal scoring heroics for Harambee Stars especially in the memorable 3-1 hat-trick against Burkina Faso in Nairobi in 1998 that overturned a 3-1 deficit in the World Cup qualifying tie.
He also had a stint with several Kenyan clubs in his hey days among them Shabana and Kenya Breweries before he moved to Belgium where he made a name for himself.