Velma Owuor emerged as the Most Valuable Player in the girls category of the just concluded Safaricom Chapa Dimba tournament. Velma, a Form Four student at Nyakach Girls High School emerged the best player in the match after helping her team clinch the title. I had a conversation with her on what it takes to become an MVP and this is her story.
Velma’s football journey started when she was in class three at Manyatta Primary School in Kondele Kisumu. She shared that she became interested in playing football when she noticed how some of the older kids got to travel for games in various parts of the country which intrigued her. Over time her love for football as well as her skills grew to a point that her team made it to Tanzania for the East Africa School games.
She shared that the most memorable part of the tournament was when she her team emerged as the winners of the tournament and she was announced as the MVP. The fact that she was declared as the MVP came as a nice surprise for her but nonetheless, she was elated given her contribution to her team winning the tournament. The Ksh. 50,000 that she won from being the MVP was an added bonus.
Given that she comes from a humble background, the fact that Safaricom had offered her a fully funded TVET scholarship meant a lot to her. This is because it meant that she could be able to continue with her education without having to worry about where she was going to get the money for school fees.
Before playing any match, Velma Owuor shared that the team usually takes time to understand their opponents weaknesses and how they could exploit them in order to win the game. They also take time to practice because as they say it makes one perfect. During the day of the match, they generally psych each other up which helps build the morale of the team. They also endeavor to leave their phones at home so as to enable them concentrate on the game at hand without any distractions.
Velma Owuor had nothing but nice things to say about the Chapa Dimba tournament which she credits for having given her and other footballers a platform to where they could showcase their skills to various scouts and clubs. She have the examples of some of her team mates who had already been signed by clubs like Vihiga Queens and Kisumu Starlets courtesy of Chapa Dimba. Also, the cash which she won with her team as well as being named the MVP will go a long way in improving the lives of her family. She also loved the fact that everything was done by the book which went to ensure fairness while ensuring that only the best were rewarded.
On future plans, Velma shared that she intends to continue working hard to improve on her football skills with a view of being able play in the Kenya Premier League and eventually going international. This is because she believes that courtesy of football, she can be able to change the lives of her family for the better.
Her words of advice to aspiring footballers is that they should work hard on improving their skills to make them marketable. They should also be disciplined which will ensure that they focus on the game and avoid any unnecessary distractions. Most importantly they should always put God first in everything that they do.