By M, KNA
The Government has been urged to grant a tax break on importation of equipment for new sports that are being introduced in schools nationwide, one of them being Lacrosse.
Lacrosse is gaining popularity among Kenya Secondary schools after being accepted by the Kenya Secondary School Sports Association and having been showcased at the Federation of East Africa Secondary School (FEASSA) Games as a demonstration sport.
However, with only 20 schools playing the sport in Kenya, there is growing concern over access to equipment for other schools that are yet to adopt.
Currently, the Kenya Lacrosse Federation relies on donors from abroad for sports equipment for use by various schools where the sport was introduced.
According to the Vice President of the Kenya Lacrosse Federation, Fred Osore, Africa lacks a manufacturer of Lacrosse sports equipment noting that the Federation hopes to convince manufacturers from the USA to set up shop in East Africa where the sport is being accepted.
Speaking to KNA in Kakamega, Osore said overseas donors, mainly from the USA, are now discouraged by taxes at the Kenyan Ports of Entry and Exit (PoEs) and may cut back on equipment donations which may impact the rapid growth of the sport.
“We have so many good friends who want to donate sports equipment, but when they donate, help to ship and then they have to pay for the taxes at PoEs, they start shying away from supporting us. So if they realise that we have secured tax exemption, we will be able to get a lot of those equipment coming here and that would help to spur the growth of that sport,” Osore noted.
He said Lacrosse equipment is very costly with one helmet that men put on going for at least Sh25, 000 and a stick for Sh15, 000.
“Dressing a male Lacrosse player is very expensive since they need to have a helmet, gloves, chest pad, elbow pads and a Lacrosse stick each with its own costs. For the ladies, it is affordable since all one needs are googles and the stick; mouth guards are needed in some cases but not necessary,” Osore added.
He however expressed confidence that the Federation is committed to ensure the sport grows with plans to introduce it in Junior Secondary School(JSS) and expand entry in Universities across Kenya.
Osore disclosed that the federation is currently popularising the sixes or six aside Lacrosse in both secondary schools and universities targeting to participate when Lacrosse will debut at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
He said they have scaled up preparations for the six aside which is the Olympic version where a team roster consists of 12 players with six of them being on the pitch including the goalkeeper.
He said the sixes will be made a second term sport in schools in Kenya and field lacrosse as a first term sport.
“The International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved the sixes, which is a shorter version, requires a shorter pitch, and very fast goals; because they want things to move very fast at the Olympics. If we don’t get there in 2028 then we don’t want to miss the Olympics in 2032 in Brisbane Australia,” Osore added.
Once the federation succeeds in entrenching the sixes Lacrosse in schools in Kenya, Osore noted that they will embark on introducing field lacrosse which has 10 players on the pitch for men including the goal keeper and 12 for the ladies.
The field lacrosse consists of three players in the defense, three in the mid and three in the attack position.
He noted that field lacrosse is a version that is popular internationally and in schools in the United States.
Osore said the Federation is still developing the boy’s lacrosse which was introduced in 2018.
The girls’ lacrosse was introduced much earlier and already some girls who participated in the under 19 Lacrosse competition in Canada in 2019, secured scholarship to study in USA Utah Valley University as they continue sharpening their skills in the sport.
“We are also processing documents for three other girls who have already secured university scholarships in the US courtesy of Lacrosse sport,” Osore pointed out.
He also noted that since the sport is new, the Federation is using former Lacrosse players as coaches, referees and officiating officials giving youth opportunities.
“We are converting those who are very young very quickly into becoming coaches and even officiating officials,” he added.
For the universities, he said, they have introduced the sport in about 10 universities in the country after the Kenya University Sports Federation adopted the sport.
However, he said, the Kenya University Sports Federation has got six conferences and in order for a sport to be played up to the national level at the university, it must be in at least 4 of those six conferences.
“We have already introduced the sport in the Western conference, Nairobi south conference, and partly in Nairobi north. We are working very hard to introduce it in the Coast conference,” he said.
Adding, “They told us that even in the four conferences we must have at least 4 universities playing in each of those conferences, so it is a tall order for us but we are working very hard to grow the sport both in high school, Junior Secondary School(JSS) and at the Universities,”
