By Yasinta Lukezo
A Turkish Talent Scouting outfit is currently in Tanzania recruiting young footballers from Tanzania that will be trained to play in European soccer clubs
The Totik Group of Istanbul, a Talent recruiting agency has its envoys in the country scouting for young footballers from both the mainland and Zanzibar Isles, starting with the Northern Circuit.
A representative of Totik Scouting Group in Tanzania, Lairumbe Laizer said the firm is both a talent recruit outfit as well as sports players’ agency with an approved licence from the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA).
“We are scouting for young Tanzanians with talents and capability to play in various football clubs in Europe,” said Lairumbe, adding that Totik Firat, the head of Totik Group, is in the country for the mission which started on September 16.
“Our Scouting envoy has connections with more than 120 soccer clubs in Europe. He is here knowing what type of personalities that the international teams require and when,” explained Lairumbe.
Apparently it happens to be a continuous program, which means there is no limit as to how many young and budding talented players will be picked by the agency in Tanzania.
“They will be taken in successive batches depending on vacancies and demand in Europe,” said Lairumbe.
Charles Mwaimu is the director of Youth Talents of Arusha, which works with Totik in the Northern Zone and who feels it is about time that young Tanzanians get the opportunity to excel in sports abroad.
Mwaimu explained that the chosen young sports men and women will be trained here for over four weeks, before being flown to Europe where they will then be enrolled in the foreign teams.
So far the program has been dealing with youths, both boys and girls, from Arusha, Geita, Dar-es-salaam and Kilimanjaro who gathered at the General Tyre grounds in the Njiro section of Arusha City.
But the Totik Company will also take the program to Moshi, in Kilimanjaro and later on cross onto the Zanzibar Islands for the same mission from September 22 onwards.
On his part, a football coach from Arusha, Mwalimu Elias Simon said the country is endowed with many talents, but are being crippled by limited playgrounds and social norms, where parents sometimes prevent their children from getting involved in outdoor activities.
He expressed hope that through the new Totik initiative, in which many youngsters will get employment abroad, many teachers, parents and guardians will be inspired to let their children invest in sports as much as they want them to pursue education.