in Tokyo

Athletics head coach Henry Kirwa is confident of panning reasonable gold medals on the track as Kenya launches into the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games with powerlifter Hellen Wawira Kariuki the first miner in the medal hunt Thursday.

Wawira, 29, opens Kenya’s programme at the Tokyo International Forum with the powerlifting competition starting at 1pm local time – or 7am Kenyan time - Tuesday.

The Paralympic Games feature athletes with various physical, visual and mental challenges and will run until September 5, featuring 539 events across 21 venues with about 4,400 athletes in action from 183 National Paralympic Committees.

Kenya is represented here by nine athletes spread across powerlifting, rowing and athletics.

Wawira – Kenya’s flagbearer at Tuesday’s Games opening ceremony - is entered in the 41-kilogramme category of the powerlifting competition.

She held a morning training session at the competition venue earlier on Tuesday under the watchful eye of coaches Lena Nyaboke Marita, Joseph Ochieng and David Waore, and is oozing confidence ahead of competition, aiming at lifting 100 kilogrammes to get onto the medal bracket.

Other than Wawira and para rower Asiya Sururu Mohammed, the rest of Kenya’s seven athletes will be in action on the athletics track in the T11, T13 and T46 categories.

The T11 and T13 are categories for athletes with varying degrees of visual impairment while the T46 class features athletes with a single below or above the elbow amputation.

Felix Kipruto will represent Kenya in the straight final of the 1,500 metres in the T47 category on Saturday from 7.10pm (1.10pm Kenyan time).

Kenya’s biggest entry for both male and female competitions is in the T11 class where the country will be represented by: Eric Kiptoo Sang (Guide runner: David Korir) T11, 5,000m, Wilson Bii (Guide: Robert Tarus) T11, 1,500m, 5,000m and Rodgers Kiprop (Guide: Alpha Malinga) T11, 5,000m.

The women’s squad has: Mary Waithera Njoroge (Guide: Bernard Korir) T11, 1,500m, Nelly Nasimiyu Munialo (Guide: Eric Kirui) T13, 1,500m and Nancy Chelangat Koech (Guide: Geoffrey Malel) T11, 1,500m.

On Wednesday, athletics head coach Kirwa – winner of four gold and two bronze medals at these Games – said he was confident of a good outing after “impeccable”, government-funded preparations.

“The conditions here are good although temperatures are high, but this will affect everyone equally,” he said.

“Kenyans should now pray for us because we have done everything possible in training.”

He said they are keeping an eye on nutrition ahead on competition.

“I’ve told my athletes to avoid fatty foods and focus on food they know about, like rice and beans… and they should take also milk, which is plenty here, along with lots of water to stay hydrated.

“We are here to show the world and encourage people living with disability that the Paralympics are as big as the Olympics,” the coach said, recalling that someone had asked him what he was doing in Tokyo yet the Olympic Games were over.

“It’s not just about Kenya, but the African nations here will work hard together to promote sports among the physically challenged.”

Kenya’s programme Thursday

From 1pm Japan time (7am Kenyan time) at the Tokyo International Forum: Powerlifting (up to 41 kilogrammes): Hellen Wawira Kariuki

Friday

From 9.30am Japan time (3.30am Kenyan time) at the Tokyo Sea Forest Waterway:
Rowing (PR1 Women's Single Sculls): Asiya Sururu Mohammed.