Africa Games: Morocco-bound team brimming with confidence
By People Reporter, August 21, 2019
Ericson Kiprono
The Kenya team for the Africa Games in Morocco are brimming with confidence they will perform well in Rabat Morocco.
Team CEO Charles Nyaberi said the teams have all received their training and competition kit and will work hard to ruffle the pecking order at the games, which saw Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Algeria dominate the last event in Brazzaville, the Republic of the Congo in 2015.
Badminton, judo, shooting, table tennis and beach volleyball teams were the first batch to depart buoyant about their chances to widen the medal scope for a country that has solely relied on athletics for most of its medal haul.
In 2015 track and field scooped Kenya’s five of the six gold medals with women’s volleyball providing the other one.
Kenya has entered a huge contingent of 290 athletes in 21 disciplines and athletics team will be the last to depart on August 23.
Triathlon head coach Harrison Mwangi said Africa Zone Five champion Hanifa Said, 24, and Abdalla Mansour Abdallah will anchor the team and hope they will influence younger players to deliver good performances.
However, he warned that rivals from South Africa and Egypt have superior players. “South Africa and Egypt have made it their turf and we must find a way to exploit their chinks. Kenya can deliver at the continental stage and win medals,” said Mwangi.