Focus on Kenyan sports now shifting towards the athlete
Kenya's three-on-three women's basketball team members celebrate after their victory over hosts Tunisia in the Africa Beach Games in Hammamet, Tunisia, on June 30, 2023. Kenya won 14-10.
What you need to know:
- A small inconvenience to the ceremony that didn’t dampen the spirits of the two Kenyan teams who were on the podium.
The closing ceremony of the African Beach Games took place on Saturday in Tunisia.
All through the games we experienced high temperatures especially during the day. Interestingly, as the closing ceremony took place, clouds gathered with threat of a storm which thankfully turned out to be just a drizzle.
A small inconvenience to the ceremony that didn’t dampen the spirits of the two Kenyan teams who were on the podium.
The weather made me think of the symbolic wind of change in Kenyan sports. We can now pride ourselves on achieving some milestones. The conversation around sports is slowly moving towards the central focus – the athlete.
Athletes who participated were adequately and appropriately kitted for the hot weather. Management had the luxury of calling out a daily dress code and Kenya stood out in this particular respect and was no doubt an envy of many countries.
Every athlete got their training and competition participation allowances with most of them receiving it before travelling to Tunisia. We especially give credit to the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Youth, Sports & the Arts, Ababu Namwamba for his quick action when the wheel of delivery was turning slowly to ensure the success of the event.
Travel to a large extent was managed well. We are still booking tickets late thereby missing good routing options with most flights going through Europe to Tunisia. Under the circumstances, travel was smooth for the teams.
Preparation for the teams was comparatively an improvement. The Kilifi Beach Games was certainly a game changer. It provided an avenue for training and practice.
The excellent work by the media in Kenya ensured Kenyans were well informed of the events despite the distance. Every athlete and team were given coverage in various mediums. Winning is good but participation is to be celebrated. We must ensure that everyone flying our flag is acknowledged.
Perhaps, most important in the team management is the selection criteria. National Olympic Committee has religiously guarded the criteria used to select teams to events they are in charge of.
The threshold of athletes’ dissatisfaction is very low and any hint of an issue attracts immediate investigation and where necessary trials under supervision are called. We are moving to a point where we can claim the best Kenyan in a specific sport and category is the one to wear Kenyan colours.
Team Kenya to the African Beach Games was a good squad with a competitive mindset.
There are great human stories which may not make the headlines. The paths of these athletes from humble and tough backgrounds to giving everything for our country; the challenges of first time use with equipment not trained with but still managing respectful positions; injuries sustained as they literally put their bodies on the line and one athlete getting unwell from the extreme weather. We congratulate them for flying our flag proudly in Tunisia.
Lessons from every international outing act as great building blocks for the next assignment as we keep Paris 2024 in focus.
