Nairobi — Over 500 athletes have registered ahead of the inaugural Kenya Beach Games slated to go down this weekend (March 18-19) in Malindi, Kilifi county.

Beach football has attracted the highest number of entrants with others comprising from aquathlon, basketball 3×3, judo, boxing, wrestling, taekwondo, beach handball, beach soccer, beach tennis, beach volleyball 4×4, coastal rowing, freestyle football, karate kata and open-water swimming.

As the D-day approaches, preparations are complete with all the venues at the expansive Buntwani Waterfront Park ready to stage the two-day showpiece.

The event schedule has been completed with players expected to arrive by Friday evening, when the opening ceremony will be held.

On Saturday, preliminary rounds will be played in all sports, wrapped up by the basketball 3×3 in the late evening.

Freestyle football was done as an online competition over a week with videos submitted from across the country where fans were able to vote by way of 'likes' on the official National Olympic Committee of Kenya's social media accounts.

The technical team will select the top three who will be invited to Kilifi to battle for the top prizes.

This is expected to continue beyond the Kilifi Games, as NOC-K prepared for the second edition of the games planned to be hosted in the Lake region later in the year.