My Sports Kenyan athletes vow to shatter records in Brazil By Ochieng Oyugi | www.standardmedia.com
Double Deaflympics champion Simon Cherono Kibai reacts after a training session at Kasarani Stadium on April 12, 2022. [Kelly Ayodi, Standard]
Team Kenya can only dream of striking gold and shattering records in the “The government is also catering for their accommodation, allowances, 24th Summer Deaflympics in Caxias Do Sul, Brazil on May 1-15. training gear among other things,” Kamau said. The squad camping at Kasarani in Nairobi is buoyant ahead of departure She said the first batch of the contingent will leave on Thursday while the for the games this week. second group will jet out on Saturday. The contingent of 136 players is optimistic of staging a good show in the “The early departure means the athletes will have 6-8 days to acclimatise,” global showpiece going by their level of fitness. she said. Deaf Athletics Association of Kenya Secretary General, Bernard Banja At the same time, Miriam Opondo, the Team Kenya Chief Liason Officer, says it’s only ‘Forward Ever, Backward Never’ for the high spirited athletes. has also come forward to clear the air on why the badminton team will miss the competition in Brazil. “We have never failed in our mission, we have never disappointed the country before. I believe we will perform well in Brazil. “The badminton team never took part in the World Championships or the African Championships which were qualifiers for the Deaflympics,” “I can assure you we will do better and return with more medals than in Opondo said. our previous outings,” Banja said. “We have urged them to continue training hard ahead of the 2023 World His sentiments were echoed by Lilian Adhiambo, the Team Manager for Championships so they can book a berth for the 2025 Deaflympics,” she athletics at the camp, who reiterated their mission in Brazil is to lower the said. men’s 10,000m and women’s 200m records that have been held by double Deaflympics champion Simon Cherono Kibai and Beryl Atieno Wamira Opondo said the Kenya Sports Federation of the Deaf (KSFD) presented since 2013. world deaf games governing body, the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD), with video clips The country will also seek to lower the men’s steeplechase record held by of the Kenya badminton team in training and in action to look for a slot Team Kenya captain Lucas Wandia since 2017 and the men’s marathon for the country in the Deaflympics unfortunately the request was turned record held by former captain Daniel Kiptum. down as ICSD said Kenya’s standard in the discipline is still very low. The country will also defend the men’s 5,000m and the men’s 1,500m titles. Sylvia Kamau, the Team Kenya Chief Executive Officer, said the ath- The KSFD President Peter Kalae and Team Kenya Chief De Mission, Tom letes were in good spirits. Okiki are all hopeful that the travelling contingent will raise the country’s flag high in Brazil. “The athletes have been fully funded by the state. All the training facilities at the stadium have been availed to them.
TT 149 | April 19th - April 25th | 2022 The Times Today is a publication of Elizabeth Omondi Consultancy. P.O. Box 833-00100 GPO Nairobi. Tel: 0722 927792. www.thetimestoday.wordpress.com
