Sports Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has met with the top leadership of the National Olympics Committee (NOC-K) to strategise on how to win more medals in the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, US.

Murkomen met with NOC-K’s representatives, which included its president, Paul Tergat, on Wednesday, September 11, 2024.

“To ensure that Kenya enhances its competitive edge in sports, proactive efforts are essential, with input from sports federations and organizations playing a critical role.

“This morning, I met with the Executive Committee of the National Olympic Committee-Kenya (NOC-K), led by President Dr. Paul Tergat, where I congratulated them on the outstanding performance of Team Kenya at the Olympic Games in Paris. Our discussions focused on strategies to qualify more athletes and secure more medals at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games,” the former CS for Roads said.

The discussion also centred on the improvement of women’s welfare and expansion of community participation, as well as the involvement of science in growing sports.

“We also explored ways in which my ministry can complement NOC-K programmes, particularly in supporting the welfare of women athletes, expanding community participation in sports, incorporating science into sports development, and securing scholarships for athletes in local universities to diversify their career opportunities,” he added.

Previous assurance

When he welcomed the team from Paris after the conclusion of the 2024 Games, Murkomen insisted that Kenya should not only depend on runners if they have to be recognised as truly sporting giants in the Olympics.

“We are only depending on runners. Other countries are heaping many medals as they have many other things. I don’t understand why we can’t participate in, for example, shooting or archery.

“We know the problem is in the leadership of these federations. Most of these federations are not organised,” Murkomen told the media then.

On the 2028 Olympics, he said, “As a ministry, we want to promise that the federation for swimming, badminton, and archery; will be summoned so that we organise them and support them. In four years time, we should have more disciplines ready for fielding in the 2028 Olympics.”

Kenya won 11 medals in Paris even though it sent representatives in other disciplines that include volleyball, fencing, rugby, swimming, and judo.