DAR ES SALAAM, Oct. 13 -- TANZANIA Football Federation (TFF) president Wallace Karia has underscored the role of youth sports academies in developing football talent, urging families to see them as platforms for structured growth rather than escape routes from domestic issues.

Speaking at a media briefing in Dar es Salaam, Karia raised concerns about a growing perception among some parents who enrol their children in academies not to nurture ability but to remove them from difficult home settings.

“Sports academies are not day-care centres or shelters from family problems. They are places where young people receive training, discipline and guidance to become professionals,” said Karia.

To respond to this trend, he noted tha...