Most Promising Girl Mwanahalima eyeing Europe move

Harambee Starlets forward Mwanahalima ‘Dogo’ Adam has set her sights on a move abroad as she seeks to conquer Europe after being crowned the 2016 Most Promising Girl of the Year at the annual Sport Personality of the Year Awards (SOYA) on Thursday.

Mwanahalima, who completed her O level education at St. John’s Kaloleni in 2016 labelled the award a major morale booster that could act as a launchpad on her way to becoming a pro-player.

“I feel great to be recognized at this level and it’s a great achievement considering the big number of girls showing huge potentials. When I heard that I’d been nominated I didn’t expect to carry the day so I can only thank God it’s happened.

“The fact that I didn’t feature for the Starlets in Cameroon during AWCON which would have been another platform to decorate my CV. For that, I felt a little bit handicapped coming into the ceremony,” Adam told Citizen Digital after receiving her award at Nairobi’s KICC.

She missed the maiden Kenya’s appearance in the continental championship due to collision of the competition with her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Examinations (KCSE) in November.

Notably, she was influential in Kenya’s qualification campaign, scoring against North African giants Algeria in Algiers in the first round of the two-legged last round of qualifiers.

The 2016 East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Girl of year says she still has a lot to contribute for the national team even with her European ambitions.

“For now I remain committed to my local club (Premier League side Olympics) as I wait for my breakthrough,” Mwanahalima added while noting women’s football is set to reap big from the increased attention and attention it’s now being accorded.

She emphasized the fruits of that empowerment were already evident by the fact that Starlets were named the Women Team of the Year award saying it was a big statement by Head Coach David Ouma’s charges.

“It is a big win for us, bearing in mind many women teams in different sports were in the race for the same award. Our history is not long like most other teams but it reflects on what has been overlooked for a long time.

“With more investment and focus women football in Kenya could be in the world map in a big way sooner than many people think,” she stated.

His former secondary school Coach Joseph Oyoo congratulated her while exuding confidence she will only get better.

“It is encouraging to see that someone somewhere is watching the little and much efforts that people are doing in sports especially women football which for a long time has been ignored,” he offered.