Local Paralympic organisation lays down plans for national athletics championships

Kenya’s Para-athletes will converge at Kenyatta University (KU) from January 29 to 31, 2025, for the highly anticipated Para Athletics National Championships, an event organised by the Kenya National Paralympic Committee (KNPC) in collaboration with the university.

The competition, featuring track, field and para-powerlifting events, aims to identify new talent and assess seasoned athletes poised to represent Kenya in future international Paralympic competitions.

According to the organisers, the championships are expected to attract a diverse pool of participants, including Para-athletes from primary and secondary special schools, tertiary institutions such as colleges and universities and clubs hosting Para-athletes.

County-sponsored participants and other stakeholders committed to advancing Paralympic sports in Kenya are also invited to participate in the three-day competition.

Similarly, the organisers noted that while participants and their sponsors will cater for their own transport and accommodation, KU has committed to managing event logistics, planning, and ensuring the security of all participants during the championship.

KNPC’s Dennis Muga, a member of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), encouraged all interested parties to make early preparations for the event. ‘

“This championship is a key step in developing and promoting para sports in Kenya, as it provides a platform to nurture talent and celebrate the abilities of our athletes,” he stated.

At the Paris 2024 Games, Kenya finished 74th in the medal standings, behind eight other African countries.

The last two editions of the Games have seen the country fail to win a gold medal for the first time since the 1988 Seoul Games in Korea.

KNPC had targeted at least four medals but fell short, collecting only a single silver medal through Samson Ojuka in the men’s long jump T37 event, as victory proved elusive for the second consecutive time.

Algeria emerged as the leading African country, finishing in 25th position with 11 medals (six gold and five bronze).

During the Paris post-mortem conducted by the Kenya Paralympics body to address areas of concern ahead of the next Summer Games, several recommendations were made. These included ensuring participants in selected disciplines take part in international events to accumulate qualifying points for the Paralympics and prioritising the recruitment of younger athletes.