4,000 future stars sharpen their skills at KAS camps

With the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games less than a year away, the Kenya Academy of Sports (KAS) has an ambitious plan to ensure that Kenyan youngsters excel on the global stage.

This is according to KAS CEO Doreen Odhiambo who is confident that coaches will identify players with the potential of excelling from over 4,000 boys and girls who are currently in national camps across the country.

The students among them special needs athletes are being trained in 12 sports disciplines.

At the end of the camps that are currently on in seven regions, about 400 athletes will be selected for the elite camp in February next year.

Speaking at Hospital Hill High School venue for one of the camps in Nairobi, Odhiambo emphasised that they are hoping that a huge number of players will make the cut for Dakar games.

“We want to make sure that during selection, junior national team players are selected from all regions not only one area so that no deserving student is left out. Next year we have the Dakar Youth Olympic Games and we want to select a team from the camps and with the aim of having most of the students represent the country at the games,” Odhiambo said.

She added that KAS is working closely with the Ministry of Education and the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) to not only tap talent but also nurture it.

“The aim of these talent camps is to ensure that the best students at the school games are identified and trained further because when they train with students from different regions they are able to learn something from other athletes.”

She underscored that through the success stories such as that of Celta Vigo youngster Aldrin Kibet and many others who were part of the inaugural camp in 2023, KAS hopes that with more funding they will have more camps during holidays.

From one camp in 2023, there are now seven camps running concurrently in seven regions. Last year there were four in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and Eldoret. Nyeri, Kakamega and Wajir are the new inclusions

KAS chair Thuo Cege underscored the importance of the partnership between KAS and schools.

“The camps have been a real success and I must commend the team behind it and the partnerships we have with our partners from the school sports associations. We hope to have more camps during the holidays.”

KSSSA Secretary General David Ngugi echoed his sentiments saying that the partnership will benefit students.

“We are working closely with KAS and these camps are helping create more opportunities for our students who get a chance to be trained by elite coaches. As we prepare for next year’s activities, I’m confident that this partnership will help improve the standards of our games for every athlete who will be looking to excel so they can get such opportunities,” Ngugi said.