Kenya: Junior Athletes in Kisii Get Aid

At least 50 athletes from Mogonga Camp in Kisii County Tuesday received a major boost after the Ministry of Sports gifted them foodstuffs and cash to cushion them against the effects of Covid-19 pandemic.

The consignment was delivered by officials from Athletics Kenya (AK) led by AK Youth Development committee chairperson Barnaba Korir and Nyanza South chairperson Peter Angwenyi at Getacho playing ground.

The donation is part of the Sh7 million is disbursing to junior athletes in various camps. Each athlete received foodstuffs worth Sh3,000 and a amount in cash.

The money was earlier planned to be shared among 19 training camps involving at least 1,400 athletes. However, the camps were closed in March in an effort to minimise the spread of Covid-19 and it was resolved that the money be given to individual athletes.

“We will continue supporting athletes, and mostly upcoming ones, during this period when the country is facing harsh economic times. This region has continued to produce great sportsmen and women who usually feature in the national team and I promise you full support from the national office,” Korir told athletes during the event.

He further said, “Had the World Under-20 Championships taken place, the majority of athletes from this region could have made it to the national team”.

Mogonga was identified last year by AK as a training camp for athletes from Nyanza South region ahead of World U-20 Championships that was slated to take place in Nairobi from next month.

Nyanza South AK Chairperson Angwenyi said the camp was picked having produced great athletes in the country since 2012 when it was established. It is the only approved training camp in the region.

The camp boasts of great athletes among them national 400 metres champion Mary Moraa, All African Games gold medalist Vanice Nyagisera, Africa Under-18 400m silver medalists Brian Tinega and Linda Kahega.

Others are David Saruni, who captained Kenya during the World U-18 Championship in Nairobi in 2017 but currently based in the US and Elijah Matayo.