Government gives update on Team Kenya’s 2024 Olympic Games preparations

Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba has revealed the extent Kenya has gone to ensure that it harvests more medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Kenya won 10 medals (four gold as many silver and two bronze) at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics but are seeking an even better return in Paris next year and to do that, the government and the National Olympics Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) have made huge plans in advance.

Unlike before, when last-minute preparations led to complaints from the athletes and various teams, contributing to poor results, those in charge are moving with speed to ensure a conducive environment for Team Kenya and Namwamba is confident this will yield handsome dividends.

“For the 2024 Paris Olympics, Kenya is prepared like never before, the National Olympic Committee has had their finger on the pulse for the preparations and the Ministry has been supportive 100 per cent,” Namwamba said on Tuesday while hosting the Kenya Sevens team for breakfast.

“We have sat together and agreed on a roadmap with the National Olympics Committee, we have retreated and planned and plotted on how we are going to make the Paris 2024 Olympics the best Olympics ever in Kenyan Olympics history

“We have budgeted in advance and allocated sufficient resources so that that this process is properly prepared so I am very confident that we are on track to possibly the most successful Olympics ever.

“In that preparation, we adopted a roadmap, we came together to launch one year to Paris and so we are knocking off day after day.

“You (Kenya Sevens) are the second team to qualify after Malkia Strikers, we are hoping the Lionesses will qualify and as they prepare for the championship in Tunisia, we will provide them support as with all qualifier events. We have a base already in Miramas and we have prepared it well in advance.”

Kenya’s most successful Olympics was the 2008 edition in Beijing, China when they won 16 medals (six gold, four silver and six bronze) before claiming 13 in both the 2012 and 2016 Games and the number went down by three in Tokyo two years ago.

NOC-K has already secured state-of-the-art facilities in Miramas city in France where Kenyan athletes will set up a pre-Olympics boot camp in the run-up to the Games in Paris.