Africa deserves more slots at the Olympics, Games boss Bach told

Kenya sports federations Thursday told visiting International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach that more slots should be reserved for African teams at the Games.

The IOC boss arrived in Nairobi Thursday morning for a three-day official tour.

Kenya Basketball Federation Secretary General Angela Luchivya, who is also the president of the FIBA Africa Zone Five Women Commission, urged IOC to easen up the qualification pathways to enable more African countries qualify for the Olympic Games.

“We had the South Sudan men’s basketball team representing Africa at the Olympics for the first time, and they did well. That shows that the continent is capable of having more representation at the Olympics, but this cannot be achieved since the qualifications process is expensive,” the former Kenyan international said. 

Tennis Kenya president James Kenani decried the scheduling of the sport as an Engagement Programme at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal saying such arrangements would kill the growth of the game.

“At the last Olympics in Paris, Africa was on the verge of qualifying an athlete - African Games singles tennis champion Angella Okutoyi - to the Olympics, but the sudden change of rules denied her that chance. That was unfair,”  Kenani observed.

Bach however took the blame, saying he was not aware of such developments.

Athletics Kenya’s Chief Administrative officer, Susan Kamau, lauded IOC for their timely support during the Paris 2024 Olympics qualifying process but called on the world Olympic body to help curb gender-based violence (GBV) that has become rampant in sport.

“Of course we are still dealing with doping and we are on the right track but the elephant in the room is the GBV. If we can get a financial boost to help us navigate through by organising workshops to educate the athletes on these issues it will come in handy,” said Kamau. 

Bach noted that there was little they could do on GBV, but encouraged AK to invest in programmes that would help educate athletes.

 The IOC boss met federation heads in Nairobi yesterday.

Kenya Netball Federation chairperson Immaculate Kabutha asked Bach to help have the sport included in the Olympics.

The IOC president said that netball was under consideration but said it will be near impossible to have it included because hosts as well as the popularity of the sport played a big role in its inclusion.

Cricket Kenya (CK) hailed the IOC for the inclusion of the game in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. 

“CK is deeply honoured and happy that cricket has been included at the Olympics,” said Director Women’s Cricket at Cricket Kenya, Pearlyne Omamo.   

Bach, who first visited Kenya in 2014, is scheduled to meet President William Ruto at Statehouse today.

“We understand there is much reduced contribution from the government to Adak (Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya) and we will request President Ruto to increase the support which I believe is in the interest of Kenya. We would like to celebrate every win from Kenyan athletes without suspicion,” said the German lawyer.

On his impending retirement, Bach said he should not be put in the museum yet. “I’m still around and I don’t intend to be a lame duck until my term comes to an end in June 2025.” 

Bach, who has been on a tour of Africa starting with Senegal, noted that the IOC Executive Board approved an increase in the overall Olympic Solidarity budget for 2025 to 2028 by 10 per cent, reaching a total of $650 (Sh83.8 billion).

The 70-year-old, who won an Olympic gold medal in fencing in 1976, later went to Nairobi Arboretum to meet athletes drawn from various sports and planted a tree to commemorate his visit.

Bach is accompanied by his wife and top officials from IOC, as well as Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (Anoca) President Mustapha Berraf from Algeria. 

Also present were Paul Tergat, the National Olympic Committee of Kenya president and IOC Member, as well as Humphrey Kayange, the Athlete Representative and IOC Commission member.