Success in sports is not merely measured by the trophies you win or the medals but rather, the person you become after your triumph. This was the message which bore a parting shot from former Kenya National men’s football team, Harambee Stars,Coach Twahir Muhiddin in his address during the 2026 Kenya International Sports Film Festival (KISFF) that was held at the Jaffery Academy in Mombasa.
Speaking during the opening ceremony of the four-day event, at which he was the Chief Guest and Keynote Speaker, Muhiddin who who was Kenya’s Harambee Stars Coach in 2010 as well as a current CAF and FKF Coaches Instructor encouraged sportsmen and women, especially young athletes to build their character from the morals they acquire in their practice of sports.
“Sports is not only about winning medals and trophies; It is about how you use it to transform yourself. It is a way of life and building a character from it,” Muhiddin said.
Muhiddin noted that sports, when introduced to young players in schools, becomes a way of life for the kids letting them lead a healthy life while as well helping them become disciplined, respectful, hardworking and cultivate a culture of team work and the courage to face defeat and focus ahead.
“I hope this inspiring festival helps to most importantly encourage the kids and their parents to look at sports as a way of life because sports helps mould a whole new person in life, helping them live a healthy active life, be responsible, disciplined and develop their courage to embrace teamwork and face differentย situations. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose,” Muhiddinย offered.
With 48 years of experience in sports, Muhidin boasts of a football professional whose career spans club coaching, national-team experience, technical leadership and the development of players and coaches. His professional journey combines domestic football experience with international coaching exposure, notably coaching programmes in Brazil (1987) and Germany, together with CAF coaching courses led by influential African coaches. He has applied this learning in Kenyan football and has contributed to the growth of the game through coaching, mentorship and engagement with coach education.
He served as Assistant Coach to Mohammed Kheri in 1989 contributing to Kenyaโs qualification for the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations in Algeria. He also served as Assistant Coach under Anthony Hey. He was Kenya’s head coach in 2004 to 2005 and later in 2009 before resigning in 2010.He has also served as the Head Coach of Badari FC in the Football Fenta Premier League as well as the team’s technical director.
He participated in the FKF Instructors Course in 2016 and the FIFA Instructors Course in Kenya in 2019. An advocate for grassroots coach education, he supports stronger coaching standards and player development. His experience illustrates the value of combining international exposure with local knowledge, technical understanding with practical delivery, and competitive ambition with a commitment to developing people.