Top Gaelic footballers from Ireland in the country on climate change mission

The world’s best Gaelic football players are in Kenya for a noble exercise-raiding funds in a bid to boost effort aimed planting a million trees in Africa as part of combating climate change.

The players drawn from top league clubs in Ireland who jetted in the country last week played an All-Star Gaelic match at the RFUEA grounds last weekend before proceeding to parts of Rift Valley to join hands with the community in plating trees.

800m record holder David Rudisha was part of the group of sportsmen who participated in the match. Other sports that were played at the same venue include Camogie and Hurling.

Self Help Africa, a non-profit making organization through its collaboration with Warriors for Humanity is hosting the delegation from Ireland with Baringo and Elgeyo Marakwet have been given priority in the tree planting exercise.

According to Self Help country director Mirriam Cherogony, the initiative that seeks to raise at least half a million euros will ultimately see trees planted in 45 counties. She said amplifying the fight on climate change through sports was no brainer as the two were deeply enmeshed.

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“We are delighted to host these players who have come to join hands in the push to increase forest cover. Each player raised at least ten thousand euros for this initiative. When we were thinking of this the rationale was that we could create linkages with environmental issues using the power of sports,” she said.

Meanwhile, Rudisha, after having a taste of Gaelic football for the first time stressed on the significance of all sporting disciplines being treated equally.

The multiple Olympic champion called on the introduction of more disciplines in order to net the idle youths whom he noted were naturally gifted with various talents.

“All sports disciplines are equal; if we could have more inventive and diverse sports in the country, we could have many of youths finding the opportunities to realize their potential and guard against idleness,” he said.