Kenya’s Young Lionesses held their nerves to beat Fiji 12-9 and in the opening Group A basketball 3x3 match at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games on Friday.
The Kenyan girls fought gallantly against the wounded Fijians who were fighting for survival after launching their campaign with a heavy 21-4 defeat to China at the Complexe Tour de l’Oeuf Stadium, Senegal.
Captain Brenda Ochieng led from the front as she anchored Kenyans to victory with six points in a tightly contested match that could have gone either way.
Keen to salvage their campaign following the game one loss, the Fijians fought tooth and nail but their efforts could see them get into foul trouble.
They, however, put on a spirited fight and seemed to be in control of the game as they led 9-6 with less than three minutes to play.
With a quarter-final slot at stake, the Kenyan quartet of Ochieng, Scholasticah Amuhaya, Chelsea Onamu and Vivian Moraa awakened their fighting spirits to rally from behind and secure victory.
The Young Lionesses were set to play China last evening in their last pool match.
Meanwhile, 17-year-old Robert Robin Richard entered his name in history after becoming the first Kenyan athlete to represent the country in triathlon at the Olympic Games.
Richard made his historic debut in the men’s triathlon at the Saly course, taking on a competitive international field of some of the world’s most promising young athletes.
Despite a challenging outing that included time penalties, stomach and muscle cramps, the Kenyan showed resilience to complete the demanding course in one hour, nine minutes and 14 seconds. The race comprised a 750m swim, a 20km cycling leg and a 5km run. Of the 33 athletes who started, 29 completed the race, while two failed to finish and one was disqualified.
Mulling over his experience, Richard described the opportunity to compete at the Youth Olympic Games as a special moment, despite the unexpected challenges he encountered during the race.
“I’m very fortunate to be racing in the Dakar Youth Olympics. It was a great experience. I’m very grateful for being able to compete as the first-ever triathlete for Kenya,” Richard said.
For Kenya, Richard’s participation was a significant milestone for triathlon, opening a new chapter for a sport that requires athletes to combine endurance, speed and technical ability across three disciplines.
Team manager Elias Njuguna described the journey to Dakar as an achievement in itself, noting that the exposure gained by the young athlete would be valuable in developing the sport back home.
“It’s been quite a journey. We’ve come from far. We really never anticipated this. But we are here now, and we thank God. The results so far are not what we are considering, but the achievement,” said Njuguna.
Elsewhere, Kenyan golden girls Rising Lionesses jetted back to the country yesterday to a hero’s welcome following their historic glory in Dakar.
The trailblazing rugby sevens side basked in glory having secure a monumental 17-12 extra-time sudden death victory against global giants Australia to become the first Kenyan team to win an Olympic gold medal.
