Why para athletes need our support for Paralympics
Nancy Chelangat (right) and her guide Geoffrey Rono after winning the 1,500m race (T11) during the National trials for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games at Kiprugut Chumo stadium in Kericho county on November 10, 2023.
What you need to know:
- Paralympic Games are multisport competitions for athletes with physical disabilities or intellectual impairments
- KNPC will conduct national trials this week to select the best athletes in preparation for qualification competitions
- Para-athletes have overcome adversity and achieved success with hard work and determination
One of the most interesting finishes in a race was in the para-athletics 5,000 metres run by Henry Wanyoike in Sydney in 2000. It’s one of the must-have favourites on YouTube.
Towards the finish line, the guide of Wanyoike could hardly keep up the pace. He started stumbling.
He was the guide to the visually impaired Wanyoike and it got tough meters to the finish line. Wanyoike pulled him to the finish line for a gold medal win.
It’s a very interesting sight to watch Wanyoike jump up and down in celebration as the guide lay on the track.
Henry Wanyoike is a Paralympics World Record Holder and a multiple gold medalist.
He is among Kenya’s great Paralympians who have over the years ensured Kenya maintains a strong presence in the Paralympics.
From the first participation in 1972 at the Athens Paralympic Games to the latest Tokyo 2020.
We are now 227 days to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games to take place from August 28 to September 8.
Paralympic Games are multisport competitions for athletes with physical disabilities or intellectual impairments.
They include athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness and cerebral palsy. Kenya has won a total of 36 medals in Paralympic Games; 14 gold, 13 silver and nine bronze. The best outing was the Beijing 2008 Paralympics in which we won a total of nine medals; five gold, three silver and one bronze. We dipped in Tokyo 2020 with only one bronze medal marking it as the worst outing in our participation history.
When at the bottom, the only way is up. Kenya National Paralympic Committee is now focused on regaining the glory. It’s a long and tough engagement but with the necessary collaboration, this should be achievable within a short time.
Signs of recovery are in sight. KNPC will conduct national trials this week to select the best athletes in preparation for qualification competitions. Opening opportunities for every para-athlete countrywide will bring out the best to develop to competitive levels.
Selection criteria which is public, easily understandable and religiously followed will bring out highly motivated athletes competitive at international level.
The National Olympic Committee under its function of being a Commonwealth Games Association is lending as much support to Parasports and closely collaborating with KNPC in the new chapter of Para sports development.
Under the Commonwealth Games Federation programme, we have offered scholarships for Kenyans to train as Para sports classifiers. Classification is a critical aspect. It’s a system of determining which athletes with disabilities can compete with each other, meant to level the ground for fair competition.
We have further provided Under-20 para-athletes with opportunities to travel to South Africa for training and included them in the Youth Commonwealth Games programs.
There is a strong push for inclusivity of people living with disabilities across all spheres of life. Sport is an excellent enabler of this initiative.
There may be many challenges to this but it must be done.
Para-athletes have overcome adversity and achieved success with hard work and determination.
We can be a part of it starting with their inclusion in all aspects, in addition to increased funding and resources for training and competitions.
Mutuku is the Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya.
