Kinetic Hosts Celebration of African Football

Photo credit: Noah Shulman-Miller

On the 9th of January, we hosted a community celebration tournament for our student athletes, many of whom are of African heritage. Held at #MerkyFC HQ, the day gave over 100 young people the opportunity to compete in a 12-team tournament as well as participate in challenges which tested both their football and financial literacy skills in line with our ethos of providing opportunities on and off the pitch.

The day featured a live DJ adding to the vibe, African food and refreshments provided by Big Zuu’s Drip Water. Event partners Flair Financials took traditional football challenges up a notch with quiz questions testing the young peoples’ financial knowledge; while Beyond Football hosted a live recording of their podcast featuring a workshop for Kinetic’s young people, where thy discussed career development and life beyond the pitch.

The participants were then in for a surprise, with SE Dons duo Big G and Don Strapzy coming to cheer them on and hand out trophies to the winners.

Photo credit: Thomas Negri

Paula Kowalska, Head of Marketing and Partnerships at the Kinetic Foundation, commented:

“We loved hosting this event for our young people, giving them a platform to celebrate their culture, heritage and footballing skills in time with Africa’s biggest football tournament. The day highlighted the talent we have in London, both on and off the pitch, while giving the young people we work with an unforgettable experience.

“Thank you to our partners at Flair Financials, Beyond Football and DJ Polo Soleri for enhancing the day and for SE Dons Big G and Don Strapzy for joining us and making it even more special. This was an exciting start to what’s bound to be an incredible year for Kinetic!”