With 63 days left before the start of the Commonwealth Games slated for July 28 to August eight in Birmingham, United Kingdom preparations have intensified back home with 12 teams reporting to the residential training camp at Kasarani.

While giving a status update on team Kenya’s preparations for the Games yesterday, the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) indicated that women’s hockey has the largest contingent so far with 30 followed by para-athletics with 14 and boxing has 12 athletes.

Wheelchair basketball has 12 while men’s and women’s 3×3 basketball teams have nine players each.

Medical team

Cycling and weightlifting have seven each while para-cycling and judo have six apiece with powerlifting providing four in a contingent that tentatively has a medical team of two.

Athletics, men’s rugby sevens, table tennis, women’s beach volleyball, triathlon, badminton, swimming, lawn bowls, wrestling, squash, para-swimming, para table tennis and para powerlifting are expected to join the camp soon.

Team Kenya’s Chef de Mission to the Commonwealth Game John Ogolla said some 198 athletes and officials have reported since Saturday with more expected as federations continue to finalize their selection.

“As you know the marathon team is currently training individually, but we also expect more athletes and team sports to join us,” he added.

Meanwhile, NOC-K secretary general Francis Mutuku appealed for financial support from corporate organisations saying that the government funding is not enough to meet the expenses for the Games

“There is a lot lined up and Commonwealth is one of them. We can’t depend only on the government for funding, we are appealing to corporates to come on board and walk with us in this journey,” said Mutuku.

Mutuku noted that the Youth Olympic Games set for Cairo this year, the African Games in Ghana, the African Beach Games (Tunis) and the World Beach Games top the calendar of events for next year which are equally crucial.

“We also have the Paris Olympics highlighting 2024 and Senegal Youth Olympic Games in 2026 as the other events we must start planning for early enough,” he added.