Nairobi — October 9, 2009 will forever etched in his heart and mind.

The Kenya national sevens team captain, Humphrey Kayange, took to the podium at a hashed Bella Centre. This time not to lead his soldiers in devouring the likes of Fiji, New Zealand, England or South Africa as they had done before.

The 27-year-old international centre was to present a simple yet decisive case to the world on the need to have rugby back to the Olympic Games fold.

The audience was not the cheering crowd that have always threatened to blow up the rooftop of the stadium as they rout for the Kenyan team but the attentive 121st IOC Session of 90 members in the city of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Also in Kayange's entourage to promote the IRB case were IRB chairman Bernard Lapasset; Augustin Pichot, former captain of Argentinian Pumas' third of the last Rugby World Cup; Cheryl Soon, the captain of Australian woman team that won the Women Seven World Cup last winter in Dubai; Anastasia Khanova, one of Kazakhstan's top female players; and New Zealand rugby legend Jonah Lomu.

Golf was also contesting for inclusion in the Olympics after softball, squash, baseball, karate and roller sports were eliminated by the executive board in a vote two months ago in London.

Articulate presentation

Kayange's articulate presentation prevailed, to earn rugby recognition as an Olympic Sport by a majority vote. Golf also joined the fold. Rugby sevens received 81 votes for and eight against with one abstention, while golf had 63 for and 27 against with two members abstaining.

Kayange could have captained Kenya's team to the fifth Rugby World Cup semi-final in Dubai last March, but winning the bid for rugby sevens was the best moment in his rugby life.

"I was out of this world since it was history in the making. I was elated and happy that the journey was worth taking," said Kayange. "It took months of hard work, commitment and research to come up with an absolutely fine presentation. It was such a happy feeling that rugby now is part of the Olympic."

Kayange and Kenya played a pivotal role in the historic feat.

" It's a great life-changing experience for me, and it now makes the Olympics the top most target for us now. We shall now not just focus on athletics for medals but rugby too," said Kayange.

Kayange, who comes from a rugby family, will be 43 when rugby sevens debut at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. But that will not deter him from realising his Olympic dream.

"God willing, I must be at the Olympics; if not as a player a coach, manager or in a personal capacity," he said.

For Kayange, life is all about setting targets and putting the right strategies in place to achieve them.

"Our target was the World Cup, and we played well in the event this year. It's now gone and we must focus on the future, and that is Olympics. It will depend on how I tune my body," he added.

And just exactly how did Kayange get involved? How did he prepare, and what did he present to the IOC members?

Kayange got an email from IRB project manager, David Carringy, inviting him to be part of the IRB Olympic bid that would present its case to 15 members of the IOC executive in London for the first time in June. Rugby was to contest alongside six other sports for inclusion in the Olympics and only two were to be recommended at the IOC Session.

"It is a challenge that I could not let go," said Kayange. "However, it never occurred to me that it could reach that stage."

But before the presentation, Kayange met with the rest of the team, led by IRB president Lapasset and CEO Mike Miller, to discuss each person's role in the presentation.

"We did several researches and came up with scripts and speech of each one since everyone had been assignment specific areas," Kayange recalled.

Kayange was to talk about the development of rugby sevens in Africa and other smaller nations like Uruguay, Tonga and Thailand, with Kenya as the focal point. How defined their development programmes are, and how they have managed to beat top sides in the sport.

"Everything was ready in Copenhagen since I only made a few changes to the speech I delivered during the first session in London in June," said Kayange. "The only difference is that, in London, we faced a few people in a boardroom, while a multitude awaited us in a vast hall in Copenhagen."

A nerve-wrecking moment awaited Kayange on this different and big stage.

"For sure, it wasn't easy and I was anxious," Kayange admitted. "There were no room for mistakes and it just had to be perfect."

Kayange and his colleagues had one week in Copenhagen, going through intensive rehearsals, and things went smoothly following massive support from home unions.

Kenya's performance

Kayange talked about how Kenya's performance at the IRB World Sevens circuit and the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Dubai has transformed rugby and helped create awareness not only in Africa but outside.

"Rugby sevens had pulled together a huge base of fans; hence good for the Olympic spirit," said Kayange.

He explained how Kenya ran rings around defending champions to hand them defeat and reach the World Cup semi-finals. He further moved the session when he detailed how Kenya made history to reach one of the Series Main Cup event final in Adelaide against fellow Africans from South Africa.

Describing sevens as a "modern, youthful and skillful sport", Kayange explained that the Olympic Games was the pinnacle and dream for every sportsman or woman and that the memories that go along in winning the coveted medals leave a permanent mark.

Kayange noted that was upon IRB and its affiliates to intensify it activities through its development programmes for the youth to ensure more of them take up the game. He said: "More should be invested in training facilities to cater for the increasing number of rugby players."

Rugby and golf are no strangers to the Olympics. Golf was played in Paris in 1900 and four years later in St Louis, while rugby was played between 1900 and 1924, in the full 15-a-side format.