180 days to Paris: Strategic approach is required now
Ferdinand Omanyala (right) wins his 200m heat during third Athletics Kenya Track and Field Meeting at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi on January 26, 2024.
What you need to know:
- At the Olympics, we have three clear objectives: participation, presenting competitive athletes and podium finishes
- Only seven out of 28 Olympic sports affiliates of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) have ever had an athlete in the Olympics
- From a strategic approach to the Olympics this year, athletics and rugby have podium potential
This year, around mid-August, there will be many reviews regarding the performance of Team Kenya in the Olympics.
There will be a lot of good input around the matter and, I dare say, very fundamental ideas on what could have been improved.
The sad part about it is that it will be pretty much like a post-mortem. It will be too late by then. We are now 180 days to the Olympics, we should write our story now.
At the Olympics, we have three clear objectives: participation, presenting competitive athletes and podium finishes.
Participating in the Olympics is an achievement in itself, though we do not celebrate this aspect well enough.
It is time we started appreciating that of the millions of athletes in the world, as very few achieve the golden dream of participating in an Olympics.
Only seven out of 28 Olympic sports affiliates of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) have ever had an athlete in the Olympics. So numbers matter at the primary level.
Presenting competitive athletes is crucial because they will be competing with the best in their sport.
Our national women’s volleyball team, Malkia Strikers, for example, will be competing with teams that have players in the top leagues most of the year.
They have been queens of Africa for a considerable long time. Internationally they have had minimal exposure.
It is at a time like now when we ensure they have levelled up through intense training and exposure in the remaining days.
The podium potential objective is where we hope to earn medals, and what most Kenyans relate with.
In the history of Kenya’s participation in the Olympics, only athletics and boxing have brought us medals.
From a strategic approach to the Olympics this year, athletics and rugby have podium potential. We can hope with a realistic chance of medals from these two disciplines.
However, in sports there is always the chance of underdogs who may perform beyond expectations.
Our actions now should reflect the objectives we have for the Olympics. Where we expect to have podium finish, very deliberate efforts must be made towards helping the athletes prepare.
It is in this line that NOC-K, in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports and Athletics Kenya have a very deliberate plan for preparing for Olympics this year.
Our athletes’ recent performances at the World Athletics Championships, international meets, and the current AK weekend meets give a good indication of the athletes we shall be relying on to give us good performance.
We shall put very special emphasis on early preparations of athletics. This will target the sprints all through to the marathon.
Our athletes given the right opportunity, support and motivation now can deliver.
Trials will come later but every athlete with a chance must be part of the preparations programme.
The wide and immense technical and tactical skills resident among very many athletics coaches and officials can be tapped now to help prepare our athletes.
A structured programme directed by AK and spearheaded by the top minds in athletics will help us put up a formidable team. Everyone can be part of this process.
Only then can we proudly be part of the outcome. Medals are won at preparations!
Mutuku is the Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya.
