Commonwealth Games: Bubble training for Team Kenya as kit lands

Team Kenya preparing for the Commonwealth Games will now train in a bubble at Moi International Sports Centre (MISC), Kasarani.

National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) first deputy president Shadrack Maluki said the move is necessitated by the recent spike of Covid-19 in the country.

Maluki was speaking when he presented Team Kenya with a training kit from their sponsor Nike at their training base where he encouraged the athletes to continue working hard so as to realise their targets.

The “Club” Games are due for July 28 to August 8 in Birmingham, England.

“We don’t want to leave any athlete behind because of Covid-19,” said Maluki. “We not only want the athletes to stay healthy but also provide them with tools of the trade to help them prepare adequately for the Games.”

General Team Manager Evans Bosire said that they are taking all the necessary precautions to ensure Covid-19 protocols are adhered to in order to avoid putting athletes at risk of infection.

"We have athletes training in various camps in the country but we have ensured that they undergo the tests every week. These are some of the measures we have put in place to safeguard the well-being of our athletes,” said Bosire.

Teams that are in camp are boxing, cycling, judo, wrestling, weightlifting, men and women’s 3x3 basketball, wheelchair basketball, para athletics, powerlifting and para cycling.

Others are men’s sevens rugby and triathlon.

Bowling, squash, swimming, beach volleyball, table tennis and badminton are training in satellite camps.

The only team yet to report is athletics whose trials are set for Friday and Saturday at Kasarani.

The men and women’s marathon teams are in various camps in Ngong, Kapsabet, Iten and Nyeri respectively.