Nairobi — Team Kenya for the Youth Commonwealth Games has departed for Trinidad and Tobago ahead of the quadrennial event, set to start this Friday and running for the next one week in the Caribbean nation.
The Kenyan team, comprising of 38 athletes across seven sporting disciplines was officially flagged off by Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba, who urged them to go on and do their best.
"You are going to represent Kenya and you are carrying the hopes of a nation. We will support you and we want to wish you all the best as you compete. Keep your discipline and do your best," Namwamba told the athletes as he officially handed over the mantle to don the Kenyan colors.
Biggest on his plate of advice for the youngsters was the issue of doping, that has threatened to crumble down an athletics dynasty that has taken years to build.
"It is more honorable to lose than to cheat. You are 14, 16, 17... Just know that you are stepping into a heritage that so many other great Kenyans have helped build. They competed and they won clean. No cheating; no performance enhancing substances. And that is what we want you to do. We want you to be part of that heritage of performing clean," Namwamba said, even as he urged the coaches and managers to ensure that the athletes follow the straight and narrow.
Kenya will look to improve on its medal haul of four in the last Games held in 2017, where the country finished in eighth place.
Namwamba is confident that with the training the athletes have had over the last two weeks, they will be in prime position to haul more medals.
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The same sentiments were shared by National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) Secretary general Francis Mutuku, who believes the team will put up a better performance in Trinidad.
"We have had the players in camp for the last 10 days. We would have of course wanted to have them for longer but because of availability and their school program, this is the best we could do. They have trained really well and we are confident they will do good," he said.
Mutuku said the Youth Games are a perfect place to hone Kenya's next crop of world beaters, and says these same athletes will be the ones competing for the next senior Commonwealth Games in 2026, as well as the next Olympic Games in 2028 and 2032.
"We have prepared to give the best and we expect good results. This is the team for the future and these Games are a critical pathway to the senior level. These same athletes will be around 28 by the time we have the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2032 and essentially, that is the prime age of most sportsmen," Mutuku noted.
Kenya will be represented in Cycling, Athletics, beach Volleyball, Triathlon, Sevens Rugby, swimming and Para Athletics.
