Governance, gender inclusivity, strategic planning and adequate preparations dominated the last day of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) Road to the 2028 Olympics Presidents and Secretaries conference that ended yesterday in Machakos.
Three day-event marked the beginning of Kenya’s journey from preparations to the actual participation in the quadrennial summer games to be held in Los Angeles, USA.
Reaffirming NOC-K commitment to ensure that teams prepare well for the games, president Shadrack Maluki assured federations that they have full support.
“We want to meet our LA 2028 objectives and will therefore walk this journey with you. We will ensure that you are adequately supported because we believe you can help your teams qualify,” Maluki said.
Taking the participants through Kenya’s roadmap to the LA2028 session, two-time Olympics marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge outlined areas that NOC-K and federations must focus on for success at the games.
Kipchoge underscored that the country should be intentional in benchmarking in order to learn from countries like Australia who are strategically investing more in sports disciplines with medal prospects.
“We must define our objectives clearly as we plan for LA 2028. We must benchmark to improve our performances, identify disciplines that have more potential of winning medals then invest in them to make sure that they adequately prepare for the games,” Kipchoge said.
Underlining the importance of good governance in the success of any venture, he challenged all federations to have a vision.
“Every federation must have a vision because without it they will have nothing to guide them. A clear vision will not lead to strategic planning and decision-making that are key in achieving objectives,” he added.
He revealed that in order to succeed at the games, Kenya must safeguard sports that have dominated the games for years even as it looks to increase disciplines in 2028.
He urged NOC-K to factor in the 2027 General Election in the planning because it will definitely affect the preparations and Kenya’s performance at the games.
NOC-K Gender Representative Doreen Okiri in line with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) gender equality policies, the national body is working around the clock to ensure that athletes whether male or female get equal opportunities.
“We are championing gender equality to ensure that no athlete is left behind or is disadvantaged due to their gender. We have potential going to LA2028 and we have put measures to ensure that all our athletes male or female, are prepared well for the games,” Okiri said.
She added that NOC-K is keen on safeguarding athletes by creating safe spaces and clear pathways. She revealed that through the IOC Olympic Solidarity program, athletes will be awarded scholarships to help them prepare for the games.
