Olympics Kenya and Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage sign MOU ahead of Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Sports, Culture and Heritage CS Amina Mohamed (left) with President of Kenya National Paralympics Committee Agnes Oluoch (centre) during the signing of Memorandum of Understanding between the Sports Ministry and Kenya National Paralympics Committee at Kasarani on Saturday June 19, 2021. [Standard Sports]

Olympics Kenya and Kenya National Paralympics Committee on Saturday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The MOU signing comes after Kenya unveiled its Tokyo Olympics squad with a list of more than 40 athletes including world champion Hellen Obiri and defending 1,500m Olympic gold medallist Faith Chepngetich.

Notable names missing were 1,500m world champion Timothy Cheruiyot and defending Olympics 3,000m steeplechase champion Conseslus Kipruto after both failed to win their trials.

The MOU is aimed at establishing a cooperation and collaboration between the National Olympics body and the Ministry, ensuring that there are smooth, well-defined roles by the two institutions with the view to deliver successful Kenyan athletes’ participation in the Games.

The Government, through the Ministry, has fully funded the preparations, including the Qualifications process and eventual participation of Team Kenya at the prestigious quadrennial global sports extravaganza in Tokyo that will run from July 23rd to August 8, 2021.

Sports, Culture and Heritage CS Amina Mohamed (second right) with Head of Public Service Dr. Joseph Kinyua (right) during the signing of Memorandum of Understanding between the Sports Ministry with Olympics Kenya and Kenya National Paralympics Committee at Kasarani on Saturday June 19, 2021. In attendance also were Sports PS Joe Okudo (left), National Assembly Sports Committee chair Patrick Makau. [Standard Sports]

“This is being done as part of the promise we made when we moved into the Ministry, that we are going to make all our processes, systems and all structure put in place, transparent and collaborative, and to make sure that there is a clarity of roles,’’ said Sports Cabinet Secretary Amb Amina Mohamed during the ceremony held at Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani.

Kenyan National Paralympic Committee President Agnes Oluoch also thanked the ministry of sports for the support they have received ahead of Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

 “We are all Team Kenya and I would like to thank the ministry of sports for the support we have received during this pandemic period,” she said.

On his part, NOC-K First Vice-President Mr. Shadrack Maliki said: “The standards have been set and I want to thank CS Amb. Amina and PS Mr. Joe Okudo for not only showing but also leading the way with professionalism.”

Olympics Kenya First Vice-President Shadrack Maluki during the signing of Memorandum of Understanding between the Sports Ministry and Olympics Kenya at Kasarani Stadium on Saturday June 19, 2021. [Standard Sports]

The ceremony that was done on the sidelines of the just concluded Athletics National Olympics trials at Kasarani was witnessed by the Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Amb. Dr. Amina Mohamed, the Principal Secretary, State Department of Sports, Mr. Joe Okudo, Executive Members from Olympics Kenya; led by the 1st vice-President, Mr. Shadrach Maliki, on behalf of President Paul Tergat alongside the Ag. Secretary-General, Mr. Francis Mutuku and President of the Kenya National Paralympic Committee, Ms. Agnes Oluoch.