Team Kenya camp, preparing for the World Athletics Championships, which is officially set for next month in Tokyo, Japan, was opened yesterday in Eldoret by the Athletics Kenya President Jackson Tuwei.
Tuwei urged the team to uphold integrity and compete clean, warning against any slip-ups that could tarnish Kenya’s reputation on the global stage.
Speaking during the official opening of Team Kenya’s residential camp at the High Performance Training Centre at Kazi Mingi Farm, in Eldoret, Tuwei reminded the athletes that success built on discipline and hard work is the only legacy worth leaving behind.
Tuwei urged the athletes to train with discipline, impress, and leave the sport with a high sense of accomplishment.
Tuwei challenged the squad to maintain focus and discipline in training as they look to extend Kenya’s long-standing dominance on the world stage.
“You’re going to Tokyo to compete, and the facilities here will help you sharpen yourselves. It’s up to you to train and focus on the competition ahead because Kenya has always done well at the global championships.”
Kenya will be aiming to better its 2023 results in Budapest 2023, where it bagged 10 medals (three gold, three silver and four bronze), finishing fifth overall.
The Tokyo-bound team received a major boost from a partnership between AK and KCB Bank, aimed at smoothing preparations and empowering athletes off the track.
KCB director of retail banking, Jane Isiaho, praised the athletes for making the cut and said the partnership was part of a long-term plan to support Kenyan athletics.
“The reason we decided to partner with the federation is to assist and support athletes in their sporting engagement,” she said. “We have to offer support on investments through what the athletes earn, and that’s why we are here to offer financial literacy to the team,” she added.
The team comprising 58 athletes has been split into two residential training camps, with sprinters camping in Nairobi Kasarani Stadium while the middle- and long-distance runners and marathoners stage camp in Eldoret.
The 20th edition of the World Athletics Championships will be staged in Tokyo, Japan, between the 13th and 21st next month.
