Danish talent academy in Tanzania nurtures future football stars and scholars
In the world of professional football, only a select few ever make it. Many young talents are discarded before they reach adulthood, leaving them to question their future prospects. Recognizing this, a new Danish talent academy, Young Boys Academy, is taking a different approach. Located in a lush locale west of Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, in Tanzania, the academy is home to 14 talented African boys.
Rather than solely focusing on football, the academy also emphasizes education. “The boys get two opportunities. The first is football, and the second is education,” says Jackson Tunda, a football trainer at the academy. The students train six times a week but also attend private school, and a foster mother ensures they are well-fed.
One of the students, 12-year-old Jensen Ethan Mwinyi, is not only a skilled midfielder but also the top student in his class. “We have teachers, trainers, foster mothers, and other staff here. And they are all very kind,” Jensen shares.
Behind the academy is Holger Kristiansen, a former football player based in Silkeborg, 7,000 kilometers north of the academy. Kristiansen hopes to develop these boys into Tanzanian role models, whether on or off the pitch. “For us, it’s not just about them becoming professional football players. It’s just as important for them to become role models in another way,” he says.
Despite this holistic approach, football ambitions remain high. Kristiansen hopes that three to five of the current students will be playing in Europe in ten years. However, he adds, “If not, they should become doctors, lawyers, presidents.”
Young Boys Academy is a non-profit organization aimed at nurturing football talents aged 10-18 while providing them with a private school education. Children usually join the academy when they are eight to nine years old. The academy is supported by sponsors and benefactors from Denmark, with initiatives including collections of used football boots sent to Tanzania for the academy students.