AK official lands Tokyo Olympics role

Athletics Kenya (AK) Executive Committee member Barnaba Korir has been appointed the General Team Manager for Team Kenya for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

National Olympic Committee of Kenya (Nock) second vice-president, Waithaka Kioni said they have settled on Korir following his splendid job as Chef de Mission for 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

Kioni, who is also the Team Kenya Chef de mission for the 2020 Summer Olympics, also appointed the Kenya Swimming Federation (KSF) official Winnie Kamau as Korir’s deputy.

At the same time, Kenya Sports Shooting Federation (KSSF) president Shoaib Vayani has also been picked as the second deputy Chef De Mission for the Tokyo Games.

Kioni said he will now have two deputies including former Kenya Sevens star Humphrey Kayange as Nock treasurer Anthony Kariuki was appointed the Games Finance Officer.

Kamau and Vayani are also Nock executive committee members while Kayange is one of athletes’ representatives in Nock executive.

“Korir’s position will be vital considering that the core of the team will be from athletics and considering the hassle he went through (in Gold Coast), we thought it wise to have two deputies to assist me,” said Kioni during a press briefing at Nock headquarters on Monday.

Kioni said that they will be meeting sports federations on Wednesday to ensure that good preparations and groundwork are put in place to ensure that Kenya fields a strong team in Tokyo.

“We shall be able to know how far our affiliates have gone through their qualifying process and what kind of assistance they need,” said Kioni.

Kioni said that so far 45 sportsmen and women have qualified including 28 from athletics, Kenya Lionesses rugby sevens team and two swimmers courtesy of universality rule by International Swimming Federation (Fina).

“It’s another great honour for me and athletics. I am happy we have had several meetings with Nock and I am confident we shall produce good results,” Korir said. “If we want to do well, we have enough time to prepare and 10 months will be enough.”

Nock is projecting to take a field of 100 athletes this time around to Tokyo as compared to the 2016 Rio Olympics where Kenya was represented by 89 athletes; 47 men and 42 women.

Kenya won 13 medals in Rio all from athletics; six gold, six silver and one bronze.

Kenya is still eying more qualification in athletics as well as women’s volleyball, men’s sevens rugby, judo, boxing, wrestling and tae kwon-do.