LaLiga strengthen ties with Kenyan Premier League

LaLiga chief Javier Tebas and the director of the organisation's audiovisual department, Melcior Soler, are currently on an official visit in Nairobi, Kenya. Today, Wednesday 10 May, saw the LaLiga expedition head to the Spanish Embassy in Kenya, where they met with Ambrose Rachier, the chairman of the KPL, and Javier Garcia de Viedma Bernaldo de Quiros, the Spanish ambassador to Kenya. The aim of the trip is to establish the foundations of a close working relationship with the African nation's top flight. During the course of their stay, the LaLiga representatives have also had the opportunity to visit the KPL's headquarters, where they met with leading figures from within the Kenyan game. Meanwhile, this afternoon the LaLiga delegation are set to receive a presentation from Dr Alberto Casella on how High Altitude Training & Rehabilitation (HAT&R)can be adapted for sportspeople who participate in team sports. At the moment, HAT&R is mostly used by sportspeople in individual sports such as athletics and cycling.

In October 2016, a delegation from the KPL, headed up by Rachier, were welcomed to LaLiga's Madrid offices by Tebas; Javier Gomez, LaLiga's corporate managing director; and Vicente Casado, the institution's managing director of international development. The trip saw the leading representatives from the KPL gain an insight into LaLiga's working methods, with the visitors showing a particularly keen interest in the organisation and management of the different areas of LaLiga's operations. In the wake of this initial meeting, a desire was expressed by both bodies for stronger links to be developed and this is set to lead to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, which will see the two institutions work hand in hand.

This latest trip offers further evidence of LaLiga's efforts to get closer to its international followers and strengthen its ties with the various leagues, federations and institutions from across the globe. Furthermore, Kenya represents a strategic territory for the Spanish organisation, which currently boasts two offices in the continent, one in South Africa and another in Nigeria. In addition, LaLiga has recently signed an agreement to make Kenyan bookmaker SportPesa one of its regional sponsors in Africa.