NAIROBI, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's national women's deaf football team coach Ben Bella on Wednesday called for the establishment of proper structures to develop the side, after concluding their 2022 Summer Deaflympics campaign with a 13-0 loss to the United States in Brazil on Monday.
"What the teams we have been facing do is that they start the project at a very early age which is not the case with us. Most of our players started playing when they were adults," Bella told journalists following Kenya's elimination from the competition, in which they lost all their matches.
"We should start nurturing the talents at infancy and I believe that with time, we will be able to compete favorably against the top teams," Bella added.
Kenya's defeat was preceded by heavy losses in their pool games, opening their campaign with a 12-0 thrashing to Japan before they scored their only goal in the second match against hosts Brazil, who went on to wrap a resounding 8-1 win.
Poland then helped themselves to an 8-0 hiding before the United States sent them packing for a damning goal record of 41-1.
Despite the tough lessons in Brazil, Bella maintains with support, the side can become more competitive in the future.
"The government has really supported us and I believe that if they continue by giving us the same treatment as other teams, we will build this team because Rome was not built in one day," Bella charged.
The tactician also called for the establishment of a deaf football women's league to give the players more competitive action. ■