Deaflympics: Kenya's world beaters return home

Deaflympics

Some of the members of Team Kenya for the Deaflympics in Caxias do Sul, Brazil pose for photos with their medals at Pride Inn Hotel, Nairobi on May 19, 2022.

Photo credit: Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • Kenyans scooped 24 medals: five gold, seven silver and 12 bronze to top in Africa and emerged 10th globally among the 78 nations which participated in the competition.
  • Kenya improved on her 17-medals haul in Samsun, Turkey in the last edition of the competition held in 2017.

Team Kenya has been challenged to start early preparations ahead of the 2025 Deaflympics following a sterling performance in the 24th Summer Deaflympics which ended in Caxias do Sul, Brazil on Sunday.

Kenyans scooped 24 medals: five gold, seven silver and 12 bronze to top in Africa and emerged 10th globally among the 78 nations which participated in the competition.

Kenya improved on her 17-medals haul in Samsun, Turkey in the last edition of the competition held in 2017.

The team jetted back into the country on Friday to a warm reception from government officials led by Principal Secretary in the State Department for Culture and Heritage Josephta Mukobe.

The team was hosted for breakfast at the Pride Inn Azure Hotel in Westlands.

Mukobe congratulated the team for putting Kenya’s name on the map once more and said  the government will support them in the upcoming championships as they prepare to win more accolades in the 2025 Deaflympics in Tokyo, Japan.

“Topping in Africa and finishing 10th globally is a no mean feat and we are very proud of you. Now you need to raise the bar high so that Kenya can top in the 2025 edition,” said Mukobe.

Team Manager Asa Josephine urged the team to keep working hard.

“We are all focusing on 2025 and making plans early enough. After resting for a month we will start training for a series of championships which will help us qualify for the Deaflympics.  Football, handball and basketball have championship qualifiers as from September and there is no time to relax and lose our focus,” she said.

Among those who won gold medals is the team captain Lucas Wandia, who won the men’s 3000m steeplechase.

Wandia thanked the government for the support it offered the team, but said the cold weather denied them more medals.