Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Daily Nation
Published on 2024-01-28 05:00:00
As we approach mid-August, the upcoming Olympics will bring about many reviews of Team Kenya’s performance. The discussions will offer valuable insights and fundamental ideas for improvement, but it will essentially be a post-mortem of the games, which will be too late to make any impactful changes. With 180 days left until the Olympics, now is the time to write our story.
In the Olympics, Team Kenya has three main objectives: participation, presenting competitive athletes, and podium finishes. Participation itself is an accomplishment, yet it is often overlooked. Recognizing that only a few athletes achieve the dream of participating in the Olympics is crucial. Additionally, only seven out of 28 Olympic sports affiliates of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) have ever had an athlete in the Olympics, emphasizing the importance of quantity at the primary level.
Presenting competitive athletes is equally important as they will be competing against the best in their sport. For example, the national women’s volleyball team, Malkia Strikers, will be competing against teams with players in top leagues for most of the year. Ensuring that our athletes have leveled up through intense training and exposure is crucial.
The third objective is podium potential, where we hope to earn medals, which holds great significance for most Kenyans. While athletics and boxing have historically been the only sports to bring medals to Kenya, this year, athletics and rugby are seen as having podium potential. However, there is always the possibility of underdogs performing beyond expectations in sports.
To align with the objectives, deliberate efforts must be made to prepare the athletes for the Olympics. The National Olympic Committee of Kenya, in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports and Athletics Kenya, has a strategic plan for preparing for the Olympics. The recent performances of our athletes at various championships and meets serve as a good indicator of our potential performers. Emphasis will be put on early preparations for athletics, targeting events ranging from sprints to the marathon.
It is important to provide our athletes with the right opportunity, support, and motivation to ensure they can deliver. By tapping into the technical and tactical skills of our coaches and officials, a structured program directed by Athletics Kenya can help build a formidable team. Only then can we proudly be part of the outcome, as medals are won at preparations.
