A summery of the objectives, goals and actions of Milanokumbosports Academy

1. RESUME OF THE MILANO KUMBO SPORTS ACADEMY
INTRODUCTION
Since the splendid performances at international level beginning with the 1982 World
Cup in Spain where the national team, the Indomitable Lions returned home with three
points after three matches that ended all in a draw, football has become a major sporting
event in the country. The exploits of Italy 1990 when Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions
became the only African country to reach the quarter finals of the FIFA World Cup, the
game of football has remained the pride of the nation. Sports in general and football in
particular has emerged as a singular unifying factor, even in moments of political and
ethnic and socio-religious tensions and feuds. However, besides football, the Indomitable
Lions of athletics and other field and track events have remained untapped. Few who
have had the opportunity to train like Francoise Mbango have distinguished themselves
and continued to lift the name, image and flag of the country high. Suffice to state here
that only the lucky ones have made it out of a huge population of talented youths.
There are many youths who want to defy the challenges associated with the world of
today where unemployment and hardship has reduced the youths to the level of
desperation. Most of them who have lost hope have buried their talents and have indulged
in drug abuse, prostitution, gangsters and banditry and some have even risked their lives
through the dangerous exodus to Europe and other parts of the world in the search for
green pastures and better livelihoods at all cost. Indeed, idleness breeds crime and
numerous malpractices that can only lead to the failure of the individual and their
communities. Talent development through training and exposure is a sure way to fight
poverty. The last performance of Cameroonian athletes in the All Africa Games in
Algiers leaves much to be desired and if there is one lesson to learn, it is that Cameroon
needs a nursing ground for future champions. Milano Kumbo Sports Academy provides
one such opportunity to groom young talents.
BUI DIVISION, THE BIRTH PLACE OF NATURAL CHAMPIONS
Bui Division, a locality with a similar cold and highland climate peculiar to Ethiopia and
Kenyan Highlands has been associated with football in Cameroon for decades. Teams
such as Swallows and Bui United are reminders of the Division’s commitment and
determination to be part of the national football family. Since Kumbo Strikers became the
first Division One football team west of the Mungo to win the coveted Cup of Cameroon,
a new spirit of hope and desire to rise to stardom has emerged among youths especially in
Bui and neighbouring Divisions. Thanks to the persistent efforts of Kumbo Strikers and
its Bui supporters, residents in the locality have been enjoying the privilege of watching
First Division Football at home for the past 8 years. The people of this sport loving
Division and its neighbours are now accepting the reality that their football team will no
longer play in the elite football league, following the elimination of Kumbo Strikers from
the premiership league. Notwithstanding, if there is an area where future champions have
continued to be under-developed and unexploited, it is athletics.
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2. NATIONAL HEROES
The endowments and talents in athletics, table tennis, snooker, javelin, basketball and
horse racing are enormous. Sons and daughters of Bui have been participating in
successive Mount Cameroon races and Tata Thomas , Yenka Francis , Bonkiyung
Januarius have made history and their names boldly written in the annals of the history
of the mountain race. The female likes of Wirngo Immaculate, Wirnkar Nadeche have
also been crown kings of the female and junior categories of the race as well. Some of
their sons and daughters like Kisife Franklin, Jude Nyuyki, Nicholine have won medals
in table tennis during university games. The president /manager of milano have won
veteran medals as well in the same domain with Dr Maimo. Chin Gema Asheri is the
queen of javelin as she has won consecutively 3 gold medals at the university games
(2005, 2006, and 2007).
Since Tatah Thomas and others started to conquer Mount Cameroon for years, youths
from Kumbo have demonstrated beyond doubt their capacities as young men and women
to excel. The hilly and cold highland region of Cameroon has produced some of the best
conquerors of marathons in Cameroon. Though the Bui people and its environs still enjoy
the good performances of their athletes during the mount Cameroon race , this is not
enough as it is just an annual even .Unfortunately, these talents have risen and died
immaturely because they have been no support or follow up by government authorities,
sponsoring agencies or individuals. Besides, there is neither table tennis championship
organised at home nor any other major participatory game and when it is done nationally,
Bui people are hardly informed.
The idea of the creation of a sports academy is therefore born out of a desire to uphold
that rich history of determination and love for sports .It is in this challenging background
that the Milano Kumbo Sports Academy was created. The exploits registered by the
Milano Kumbo Sports Academy athletes in national sports events, including the recent
international Texas marathon in the United States is clear proof of the abilities and
capacities imbued in today’s youth, particularly in Kumbo. The desire and zeal to
conquer and be number one has unfortunately not been matched by opportunities and
facilities to nurture their talents and skills. It is in this context that Milano Kumbo Sports
Academy whose founding goal has been is anchored on its zeal to transform the lives of
the budding Cameroonian talents that this project proposal is being submitted for
partnership and sponsorship.
GOAL AND RATIONALE OF THE PROJECT
The future of every country and society lies in the youth and investing in the youth is
building a solid foundation for future leaders by maximizing their potentials. Milano
Kumbo Sports Academy has come to realize that in partnership with the Government as
well as other stakeholders, young people can be given a chance of making it in life
through sports. The founders and promoters of Milano Kumbo Sports Academy equally
believes that young people are rough diamonds whom if well polished shall not only
shine for themselves but shall shine for their countries and the whole of humanity.
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3. The goal of the proposal by the Milano Kumbo Sports Academy is to offer an
opportunity for maximal development of talents in youths through training and nurturing
of talents in ATHLETICS and track and field events; Create a viable athletics,
table tennis, javelin, horse racing, basket ball and snooker competition with the ambition
of taking these departments/clubs to the highest national and world levels; a build
capacity of local trainers through training, and technical assistance and expertise;
exchange visits between Milano Kumbo Sprots Academy and similar or expert
institutions world wide.
OVERALL OBJECTIVES
In a region that does not count any industries and mineral resources that constitute polls
of empowerment through gainful employment, the overall objectives of this proposal
resonate with Milano Kumbo Sports Academy motives which include:
 Creating a community based and sustainable academy in order to develop football,
basket ball, athletics and other sports in this part of Cameroon.
 Identifying sports talents in young people and giving them a chance at making a
career even away from our academy
 Engaging young people in physical and moral Education with a view to reducing
crime rate, drug abuse as well as the fight against HIV /AIDS.
 Training young people in the sustainable management of bio-diversities and
environmental protection.
 Building friendship ties with stakeholders as well as other sports orientated entities
the world over and participating in activities that promote friendship, tolerance and
fight against racism and all forms of discrimination.
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
The importance of this project lies also in the anticipated outcome and te benefits that are
multi-dimensional.
Youth Beneficiaries
 Young and talented athletes are trained and equipped with basic material equipment
for re-training and career development. This can produce the “Ethiopians and
Kenyans” of Cameroon who can conquer the world.
 With sponsorship from potential donors and partners, athletes who need immediate
and sustained attention vital for possible professional careers would continue to
benefit from Milano Kumbo Sports Academy training. The trainings shall equally
reveal more hidden talents that can proudly represent Cameroon internationally.
 The training activities shall equally present and encourage the spirit of competition
and especially self challenge in all the participants which spirit shall build strong
personalities in each one of them and rejuvenate a national athletics that is really in its
ageing phase.
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4. The Academy
 The Academy would have succeeded in giving a chance of self esteem and discovery
to the participants which is a resume of our objectives. The Academy expects to cause
young people to realize that sports can give them a future and above all that sports
keep them out of various mal practices.
 Taking into consideration the poverty level in the division and country at this time the
training activities offered by the academy shall give a cross section to young people a
chance of playing and wining. The academy expects by these to build lasting ties with
various stake holders with whom the future of young people may be made brighter
 The Academy expects to instill a sense of responsibility and partnership in the
participants, which shall then have an overall effect on their day to day activities. By
the end of the training activities the participants would emerge as young people who
respect the notion of “Common Good” which is a prerequisite for future nation
builders
The Community
 The envisaged training activities shall bring about or reinforce the spirit of friendship
and unity amongst young people who are a very active and consequently very volatile
section of the population.
 The training activities shall be welcome by the local authorities an antidote against
the growing rate of drug abuse that usually characterize the summer holidays (aware
of the numerous young boys and girls who never went back to school in September
because they tasted Indian hemp during the summer holidays as well as the girls who
became teenage mothers during the same periodic).
 We finally expect that the nation shall discover some of the rough diamonds which
need polishing in the young participants so that Cameroon should soon be proud of
new stars.
 Even if none of the above occurs we would have succeeded in the physical and moral
education of our young people and given them enough reason to dream, which
dreams they may realize some day with or without us. This is what we call success.
Government at National Level
 The last performance of Cameroon at the All Africa Games in Algiers revealed that
Cameroon’s athletes are old and ageing. There is therefore an urgent need to
rejuvenate the team and nurture future champions. Milano Kumbo Sports Academy
would surely provide the much needed opportunity to groom athletes that would carry
the Cameroon flag higher.
PROJECT SUSTAINABILITY
The training proposal for budding youth footballers is meant to be a continuous process
each year between the USA and Milano Kumbo Sports Academy as a sustainable way of
transforming Cameroon sports, a country blessed with potential stars. Briefly below are
the strengths and needs identified in the project proposal.
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5. STRENGTHS OF MILANO KUMBO SPORTS ACADEMY
 Visionary leadership and experience in sports management and a growing national
and international reputation. Milano Kumbo Sports Academy did not only write its
name in gold during the 2007 Mount Cameroon race of Hope; it distinguished itself in
the Texas marathon, USA and other national athletic events in Cameroon. Milano
Football team has been North West Champions and represented the province in the
national round-robin tournament (inter-pools).
 Management Structure & Track record of transparency: A thorough policy of
transparency in accounting has been institutionalized. Records of accounts are always
shared with stakeholders, made public and timely. The essence of Milano has been
focused on talent building rather than money making. This has provided a platform
for the sponsorship and promotion of youth talents who cannot even afford basic
transportation to sports tournaments and competitions.
 Basic infrastructure exists. The Mayor of Kumbo Urban Council has provided the
municipal stadium for the football trainings and other track and field games, while the
local Churches have provided their training grounds for the basketball training. This,
it should be noted is very inadequate and still far from standards to meet criteria
required for highest performance.
 Track Record of Enthusiastic Youths: Milano Kumbo Sports Academy currently
has about 90 enrolled athletes from Bui. The department’s success can be
summarized thus:
 Januarus Bongkiyung is the 2006,2007 Mount Cameroon Champion, 2007
Big D texas Marathon Champion.
 Wirngo Immaculate: 2006 Mount cameroon Champion, 2nd in the females
category Big D texas Marathon
 Wirnkar Nadeche: 2006,2007, Mount Cameroon junior category
Champion, Current 2007 5000m National Champion, 2nd in 2007 Big D
Texas marathon half marathon category and champion of the under 15
category.
 Snooker: We adopted them since there is a snooker board in every neighbourhood
from Jakiri toTatum in Bui Division. They shall participate in this year’s national
championship
 Horse Racing: In horse racing we adopted the BANSO horse racers and hope to
engage them this year
 Table Tennis: We adopted the local table tennis players and they train with those who
have participated in high level competitions like the university games and provincial
championships. In 2007, we intend to organise a competition to select those we are
taking for this year's national championship.
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6.  Javelin: We have one professional Javelin athlete. Asheri Chin Gema she is the
current queen of javelin n Cameroon and has been training both the male and
female .
NEEDS OF THE ACADEMY
Training and material needs:
 The athletes need well trained and tested trainers with a wealth of experience to
transform talents into champions.
 The athletics department does not have where to train and with the topography in
Kumbo they train more as mountaineers and not marathoners. They have to go to the
Ndop plain some 70km from Kumbo before they can learn how to train on tarred road
as marathoners.
 The athletics department lacks the shoes, running kits, and training equipment. The
table tennis department needs a board, bats and good balls. The snooker department
needs a good snooker board, and accompanying equipment.
 In Snooker there is virtually a locally made snooker board in every locality in Bui
Division. Unfortunately these boards do not meet international standards.
 Horse racing tracks are not available so the horse racing department creates a running
track every dry season at the Kumbo urban council field for the horse racers to train
on.
Exchange visits: Exchange visits between Milano Kumbo Sports Academy and potential
sports institutions and training centers in the USA. This could be at the level of players
and or coaches.
Necessity for green tuft 30,000 capacity stadium and running track, and other sports
complex (basket ball in Kumbo is the dream of the Milano Kumbo Sports Academy and
our future endeavors would focus on the realization of this dream to match the caliber of
talents it has been able, and continue to groom.
CONCLUSION
Milano Kumbo Sports Academy has so far relied on generous donations from individuals
and sports lovers who believe that sports is not just a source of health but can be an
investment for the youths in poverty stricken community like ours. Building capacity in
youths is not only a means to alleviating poverty, but also a way to lay the foundation for
Cameroon’s future glory. Africa and Africans have excelled in sports events, particularly
athletics. East Africans have so far dictated the pace in this area and Cameroon can also
produce its won champions if only talents that abound in its youths are identified and
groomed. The initiative by Milano Kumbo Sports Academy seeks to move from the ad
hoc nature in which Cameroon’s athletes have been selected. It is our hope therefore that
Cameroonian authorities, sports lovers and international organizations would join us in
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7. building a legacy for posterity and the youths. Join us and let’s give hope to the talented
and endowed boys and girls and make them future champions.
CONTACT ADDRESS:
Roland K. Mbenkum
High Court Kumbo
Bui Division
North West Province
Cameroon W/Africa
+ (237) 79835882 Cell or Mobile Phone
Milano_kumbo@yahoo.com
www.milanokumbosportsacademy.org
July 30, 2007, Milano Kumbo Sports Academy ©2007
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