Kenyan Judo coaches to train in Hungary

Judokas Esther Akinyi and Livi Sang during their commonwealth training at kasarani Gymnasium on 04-07-2014.PHOTO/DENNIS OKEYO

International Judo Federation (IJF) has awarded Kenya Judo Association (KJA) three slots for a coaches' training to be held in Hungary.

This was after KJA sent four officials to another IJF referees and coaches' training, which was held at the Kodokan Judo Institute in Tokyo, Japan last week.

The four officials; two referees Johnson Mwadime and David Busolo and coaches Joseph David Ochieng and Joseph Waweru successfully completed their training that helped them prepare for the Rio 2016 Olympics to be held in August.

KJA acting president, who is also the Secretary General Shadrack Maluki, said they will select club coaches for the Hungary training after they hold a national executive committee meeting next week.

"We (KJA) are for the growth and development of Judo in the country. It is only through these training sessions that we will be able to achieve our purpose and that is why we will give this opportunity to club coaches," Maluki said.

According to Maluki, the four officials, who trained in Japan, will be tasked with ensuring that local judokas are familiar with the new rules that will be applied at the Olympics and in future tournaments.

"The training was very crucial because the four will teach others the new rules so they are ready to compete at the same level with the rest of the world," Maluki said.

Maluki said the training is also part of a wider programme to grow the sport countrywide.

"Judo is now more vibrant than it was before, thanks to the support we get from the Government. We have a long-term programme and our main objective is to take the sport forward. The four trainees will be very useful in helping us achieve our goals."

The quartet will be responsible for developing the sport in four regions namely; Western which will cover former Western, Nyanza and Rift Valley provinces. The second region will be Eastern, which is former Eastern Province and Coast. Nairobi will be the third region and Central the fourth.

Maluki said Kenya, which is ranked ninth in Africa, is eyeing better representation at the Olympics, with two judokas Isaac Kinyanjui and Diana Kana having already qualified for the Rio Games.

"We want to field a minimum of six players at the Olympics. Two have automatically qualified, having attained the required points, while the rest will go through the continental qualifiers," he said.

Kenyan judokas will have a chance to qualify for the Olympics in two events;  this month in Burundi and in the Tunisian showdown in April.