NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 24 – Memories of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games River Siena spectacle have hardly faded but Kenyan handlers are already envisaging the next two Olympic cycles with verve and vigor.
The City of Lights became a sports stadium on the night of the Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony on Friday (July 26), the River Seine – its track, the quays – spectator stands, and the historic landmarks along the way – silent witnesses to the vibrant celebration full of flags, feathers and raindrops.
During Team Kenya’s Awards gala at a Nairobi Hotel, NOC-K unveiled to stakeholders the Los Angeles 2028 emblem setting the pace for yet another great Olympic dream for Kenya.
Kenya has participated in 18 Olympic Games having missed out on Montreal 1976 and Moscow 1980.
The 1980 Summer Olympics boycott was the largest in Olympic history and Kenya was on board actions initiated by the United States to protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Twenty-nine countries, mostly African, boycotted the Montreal 76 Games when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) refused to ban New Zealand, after the New Zealand national rugby union team had toured South Africa earlier in 1976 in defiance of the United Nations’ calls for a sporting embargo due to their racist apartheid policies.
The 2028 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXXIV Olympiad) and 2028 Summer Paralympics, both colloquially referred to as Los Angeles 2028 or LA28, will take place respectively from July 14 to July 30, 2028 and August 15 to August 27, 2028 in Los Angeles, California, United States.
Brisbane was confirmed as host of the 2032 Summer Olympics at the 138th IOC Session on 21 July 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. Having been awarded the hosting rights 11 years and 2 days in advance, this is the most amount of time a host city has had in planning and organizing an Olympic Games.
NOC-K Secretary General Francis Mutuku announced that preparations for Los Angeles and Brisbane begin immediately.
“We believe we got a good score in Paris where Kenya scooped 11 medals and it’s the first time that NOC-K are rewarding the athletes after an Olympics. Preparations for LA and Brisbane commence immediately.”
“The essence will be to put athletes into a long-term program. Ahead of Paris, we were able engage federations a lot more and I’m glad that our athletes were well resourced in the process. In Paris and Tokyo our athletes were able to take part in pre-Olympics camps in Miramas and Kurume cities respectively for high performance training and acclimatization,” said Mutuku.
Mutuku added that this particular edition of Olympics, NOC-K enjoyed maximum corporate support.
Kenya is setting a target of broadening the number of sports it competes in the Olympic Games at Brisbane 2032.
Kenya has relied more on athletics and boxing for Olympic medals.
Mutuku noted that building a champion takes 10 years.
