NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 14 – Malkia Strikers are well known for their hard- hitting antics on the court, but at Team Kenya’s pre-Olympic camp, it was a different ball game!
In the sleepy French town of Miramas, the National Volleyball team players utilized their Sunday rest day by assuming surreal roles to prepare sumptuous meals for players and officials.
Prior to relocating into the Olympics village, Kenyans in Miramas have made deliberate efforts to prepare home cuisines to suit the needs of the team.
Today, Kenyans savoured a meal of chapati and kuku (chicken), thanks to the volleyballers who ensured hospitality is tiptop, by and large.
Middle blocker Trizer Atuka headed the “chicken department” just to ensure that team members didn’t not lack Kenya’s favourite meal, otherwise referred to as Ingokho in the Luhya dialect.
Libero Agripina Kundu and Joy Luseneka led the team that prepared vegetables while left attacker Meldina Sande and Esther Mutinda spined chapati to complete their homemade recipe.
Speaking to Capital Sport from Miramas,Sande said, “It’s our norm when we are in camp, rest days which are on Sunday’s, it is our turn to cook Kenyan meal. It is good because it enhances our cohesion.”
Team Kenya has made adequate arrangements for the players to enjoy Kenyan foods and indeed shirk away from too much fast food or choosing high-fat, high-calorie menu items that can drag a person’s body down prior to competition.
Kenya Sevens star Patrick Odongo commented on the food, “Furaha mpwito mpwito, mumetubamba leo, after kula hii chapo ni take away pia (We are feeling so happy, after eating this chapati, I will pack for take away).”
The Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris has already attracted more than 200 chefs who will be tasked with preparing more than 13 million different meals.
Feeding 15,000 international athletes from 208 territories and nations is a gargantuan task, with 200 cooks ready to prepare more than 40,000 meals each day, both in the Olympic Village restaurant and at 14 competition sites throughout the city.
During the two 15-day periods of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, more than 13 million meals will be served – the equivalent of the amount of food provided at 10 football World Cups.
-Alex Isaboke is reporting from Miramas, France-
