Kurume city will not host Kenyan Athletes for Pre Olympics training camp – KBC

Japanese city of Kurume  has pulled out of hosting Team Kenya for the Tokyo Olympics Pre-Games Training Camp following a surge in Covid-19 cases in the host nation.

The communique which comes two months after the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) and Kurume City officials entered a partnership where Kenyan athletes were to train in the city before the Olympics Games,was received by Olympics Kenya on 1st June 2021 from the City officials.

Team Kenya’s Chef de Mission to Tokyo Olympics Mr Waithaka Kioni said that Kurume City officials scrapped plans for pre-Olympics training because of the resurgent Covid-19 pandemic in Japan.

“Kindly note that Kurume City has sent a communication indicating that they will not host our teams for the previously agreed pre-games training camp,” said Mr Waithaka.

With 51 days remaining until the start of the global sporting extravaganza, a total 90 athletes have so far qualified for the Summer competition

Earlier this week,Olympics Kenya, in a statement to newsrooms said that 39 men and 51 women have already sealed their places to Tokyo with Athletics having a bigger representation of 23 women and 24 men, Boxing – 2 men and 2 women, Rugby Sevens 13 men, 13F, Swimming – 1 man, 1female, Taekwondo – 1female, Volleyball – 12 women).

Kurume City is located in Kyushu, the most southerly island in Japan, about 1,000 kilometres south west of Tokyo, which is on the main Honshu island.