NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 12 – A total of 250 para-athletes have been classified ahead of the Commonwealth Games pre-qualifiers slated for tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday at the Moi International Sports Center Kasarani.
Top athletes in the pre-qualifiers will be selected to participate in the Commonwealth Games qualifying events that run until May.
Speaking at the event that was held today (Wednesday) at the Nyayo National Stadium, Kenya National Paralympic Committee (KNPC) boss Agnes Oluoch said the pre-qualifiers are also geared towards identifying new sporting talent, targeting the youth with disabilities in the country.
“We are delighted that not only did they (athletes) register online but also showed up physically today at Nyayo Stadium. We have athletes from Nairobi, Rongo University, Kenyatta University, Thika Institute of the blind, West Pokot just to name a few,” Oluoch, said.
She added, “Of course, we do well in athletics; 100m, 200m and long distance, but we have to continue boosting other sports like swimming, cycling and powerlifting.”
“This time, I am surprised that we have surpassed the number we expected, these are numbers we only see at Athletics Kenya. In the past, we have relied on our own athletes to pass the message, what we have done differently is we have reached out to many institutions of learning.”
“It’s going to be very exciting to have universities and schools present also, the competition is stiff, and the games ahead are even more thrilling,” the KNPC chief stated.
The Classification process is done to place different athletes into their respective categories with reference to their physical abilities to ensure fairness in competition during the trials.
The process was conducted by Dr. Dunera Ilako who is a licensed International Classifier (For visually impaired – Class T11, T12 & T13) and physiotherapist team lead by Titus Kilika with others being Rosemary Ndeti and Kaburu Josephine.
KNPC will be participating in a series of international and continental events this year including the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games in August and World Championships in October as a pathway towards the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.
The selected athletes will be put on this pathway and supported in training and preparation.
The National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K), is hoping to qualify as many para-athletes as possible to the Games.
In 2018, Kenya participated in powerlifting, with best results coming from Hellen Wawira in the women’s lightweight where she finished 4th while Joyce Njuguna in women’s heavyweight finished 3rd.
In athletics Stephen Wesonga ran in the 100 m T47 (below elbow or wrist amputation or impairment) and finished in 5th position.
The disciplines to feature in Birmingham include; Para Athletics, Wheelchair Basketball 3×3, Para Cycling – Track, Para Lawn Bowls, Para Powerlifting, Para Swimming, Para Triathlon and Para Table Tennis.
