ITEN, KENYA – The Kenyan government has committed Sh190 million towards enhancing sports by establishing grassroots training centres across the nation. Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Ababu Namwamba, announced this significant investment during the inauguration of the Kiprun camp in Iten.
According to Kenya News Agency, the initiative, which has already led to the establishment of 50 camps, is part of a broader strategy to increase budgetary allocations to these camps annually. The aim is to ensure they are well-equipped with state-of-the-art facilities for training sportsmen and women in the country. Namwamba, speaking at the launch event, encouraged youths to take advantage of these camps, designed for talent identification and training in a controlled environment.
Elgeyo Marakwet, recognized for its status as an athletic powerhouse, is set to receive eight of these camps. The Sports Ministry plans to initiate a program to train additional coaches, addressing the current shortage and high workload faced by existing coaches. Namwamba was joined by French Ambassador Arnaud Suquet at the event.
The Cabinet Secretary directed Athletics Kenya to begin preparations for the Paris Olympics, focusing on identifying Kenyan athletes for the steeplechase and selecting one of the camps for their collective training for three months prior to the games, with funding provided by the ministry. This strategy aims to reclaim Kenya’s dominance in steeplechase, a race historically associated with the country but recently facing stiff competition from athletes from nations like Ethiopia and Morocco.
Namwamba emphasized the importance of collaborative training, noting that athletes from the same country typically do not compete against each other but run together as a group, a tactic that requires them to train and stay together for an extended period before the race.
Former Cherangany MP and athlete Wisley Korir highlighted the launch of a student athletic sponsorship program and suggested that junior athletes should be trained in schools, with adjusted class schedules to accommodate their training needs. He proposed a later start to lessons, allowing for morning training sessions and breakfast, and time for training in the early evening. This approach, he argued, would ensure that the training offered in camps is also accessible in schools.
The French Ambassador, Arnaud Suquet, expressed his country’s commitment to partnering with Kenya in supporting and nurturing talents in sports.