'Bubble training camp' proposed for Tokyo-bound Team Kenya

The government and the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) Thursday launched a joint road map towards next year’s Tokyo Olympics seeking to avoid a repeat of the mismanagement circus that blotted the 2016 Games in Brazil.

In the road map, a special "bubble training camp" for teams qualified for the Games will be opened at Kasarani early next year.

After a joint conference in Naivasha on Thursday, NOC-K President Paul Tergat and Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed unveiled various steps to be taken to secure Kenya’s successful preparations for and participation in the July 23 to August 8 Tokyo Games.

This will start with a review of the constitution and terms of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympics Preparatory Team (Steering Committee) whose term expired on October 12 this year, before December 31.

Amina said regular Steering and Central Management Committee meetings to implement the Road to Tokyo Road Map will re-start immediately with the first Central Management Committee Meeting to be held on January 6 while the Steering Committee Meeting will meet on January 13.

“Accreditation and other logistical preparations are to be completed on or before January 20, 2021," she added.

"The Ministry in conjunction with NOC-K will engage critical government stakeholders on Olympic education awareness to ensure comprehensive information sharing in a Tokyo Olympics Information Pack which will be released on January 5, 2021," the CS said.

"The Ministry in conjunction with NOC-K will also prepare a Tokyo Olympic 2020 Travel Information Pack for members of the public containing all the directives issued by the International Olympic Committee to guide members of the public intending to travel to Tokyo for the Games with essential information."

At the Naivasha meeting, it was also agreed that "the Ministry and NOC-K will enter into a Memorandum of Understanding setting out the respective roles and expectations to guarantee seamless delivery of the Games with clear responsibilities and accountability structures."

NOC-K and the ministry also agreed to review the Tokyo Olympics budget before the Christmas break so that it's discussed in next month's Steering and Central Management Committee meetings.

"A Cabinet Paper Briefing Cabinet on all the components of the Games will be prepared and finalised before December, 31, 2020," Amina noted.

"There will be continued engagement with the Government of Japan regarding Team Kenya’s pre-training camp in Kurume City. This venue has already been confirmed and a Memorandum of Understanding approved by the Honourable Attorney General," Amina said in the statement released to the media.

Team Kenya will hold its pre-Olympics training camp in Kurume City two weeks ahead of the Games' official opening on July 23.

NOC-K and the government also agreed to create "bubble training camps" for Olympic teams in adherence to Covid-19 protocols and precautions.

"All Tokyo Olympic participating federations are advised to present requests for training venues to the Ministry before December, 24, 2020, for facilitation.

“Requests for training venues shall be lodged with the office of the Commissioner for Sports for further processing. Strict facility use priority will be granted to Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Team Kenya," the CS added.

The Naivasha conference also laid down proposals for a more effective approach to media operations to Team Kenya in Tokyo, including putting together a strong communications team that will give the Kenyan narrative.

"The Ministry in conjunction with NOC-K and KNPC (Kenya National Paralympics Committee) will launch a Team Kenya communication and public relations training programme to educate athletes on general Japanese Culture, etiquette, interviewing skills and media response strategies to amplify Team Kenya and individual athletes’ branding," she explained.

Additional focus will also be given to anti-doping protocols and procedures with a proposed elaborate anti-doping programme "which will be maintained and resourced without any compromise to secure effective and efficient participation of Team Kenya without medical and anti- doping glitches."

NOC-K and the ministry considered recommendations of the Rio 2016 Olympics Probe Committee that was constituted by the government to investigate Kenya’s mismanagement of the 2016 Games in Brazil.

At the two-day Naivasha meeting, Paul Ochieng, who is the Dean of Students at Strathmore University, made a presentation of the report which has since led to the prosecution of officials found culpable.