Della Tore Football Academy in Luweero is destined for a great future revolving from a mere village face to an international figure.
Named after a Swiss citizen Leashy Courtney Della Tore, the Academy found it’s establishment five years ago, dating in 2018.
At end of last week, Leashy Courtney Della Tore came to Uganda and found his way to the operational offices of the project he has given a hand for years.
While in Kasaala – Luweero, he (Leashy Courtney Della Tore) together with the academy founder Hajji Siraje Kabuye discussed the future of the project and said;
“I look forward to building the biggest modern sports academy with modern facilities.
The target is boys and girls between the age of seven and 18 years.
Our focus is not only football but also other games like Basketball, Volleyball, Athletics and Tennis.
Leashy Courtney Della Tore further revealed that his first plan is infrastructure and staff development at the academy.
“Firstly, a modern infrastructure is to be commissioned having Games and training pitches, Video rooms for analyzing games, hostels and a school to help us keep the project children together.
Academy players dressed in jerseys with balls shipped in by Leashy Courtney Della Tore
We focus at tapping into technical, conditioning coaching skills from some of the partners in Europe for capacity building. Leashy Courtney Della Tore added.
During an exclusive interview with this website, Della Tore revealed that his first time to Uganda was 1997 and from his previous other visits to the Pearl of Africa he asserts that;
Sports is a center of peace of Ugandan life and the sub-sector has the ability to influence a great future to the young population.
Sports is beyond playing but a complete industry. Sports has the ability to diversity Uganda’s economy.
A fully developed industry can be a serious full time employment sector for coaches, athletes, medics, kits manufacturers, media personals among others. He concluded.
Leashy Courtney Della Tore also vowed to turn Della Tore Football Academy into Uganda’s breeding ground for great athletes in Football, Basketball, Volleyball, Athletics and Tennis.
Background
Deriving its named from a Spanish citizen Leashy Courtney Della Tore, the Academy was established in 2018 by Hajji Siraje Kabuye and Hassan Ssekito, a born and resident of Luweero.
Hajji Siraje Kabuye, the academy founder
On a tenancy basis, the academy has its home at Kasaala Catholic playground.
Currently, the Della Tore Football Academy accommodates only three age categories of 11, 13 and 15 years.
Over the years of its existence, the Academy has registered tangible successes both in Luweero sub-region and National level.
Della Tore are two-time champions of the annual Luweero Youth Cup tournament. They won a back to back in 2021 and 2022.
They are currently the Luweero sub-region Uganda Youth Football Association (UYFA) U13 Chenga National qualifiers champions.
Their sub-region triumph confirmed a slot at the forthcoming U13 Chenga National championship set for 15th to 20th January 2024 at Mbarara High School in Mbarara City.
Della Tore Football Academy are also the 2023 UYFA U-15 National qualifiers champions for Luweero sub-region.
They were the 2023 U-15 National championship first runners up after a slim 1-0 defeat to eventual winners Kampala Galaxy.
Sadik Ssekalaala scored the only goal in the final held at Kosovo Grounds in Kasana-Luweero on 4th September 2023.
The Academy’s successful journey at the National championship yielded fruits as five out of the elven best players were from Della Tore.
These include Abdulshakur Kasibante, Abdulshakur Babi (MVP), Edema Bashir and Kivunike Adonia.
Babi Abdul Shakur was also named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament while teammate Nicholas Kakaire was the best goalkeeper of the tournament.
