NOC-K adopts performance based approach in player selection for Commonwealth games
Athletics
By
Washington Onyango
| Feb 23, 2022
The National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) is keen to spearhead quality performance of Team Kenya at future global events with the noble objective to bolster professionalism in sport.
One of the key facets being targeted in this ambitious plan is Sports Science and monitoring of structures and selection mechanisms at federation level.
NOC-K Secretary Francis Mutuku said the Committee is moving away from an event- based perspective to an innovative performance-based approach.
Speaking in Naivasha during the Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) Annual General meeting, Mutuku said they are aiming at achieving equality in selection.
"Whatever they do, and wherever they are working from what should come out clearly is that our sportsmen and women must have the best chance or equal chance like any other persons to represent the country. "
"In view of the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, we are saying that each and every event, each and every program we are going to be involved in, be it an international assignment, we will now tie it towards what we want to achieve."
"Even the team that is going to Commonwealth Games, the target is much more than just going there. Our focus is future competitions," he said.
Mutuku added that they expect good results as a country going forward, but then again appealed for patience.
"We have to give them time to build up especially if it's a young upcoming team.
The others we need to have good performance in Commonwealth Games; but the bottom line here is we want to strat preparing for Olympic Games now," explained Mutuku.
Mutuku added that NOC-K wants to share the message that 'it's a change of focus and a change of strategy that's performance based.
"The second thing that we have shared is that for Commonwealth and every other international events where NOCK is involved, we want to ensure that it's the best Kenyans who represent us," he noted.
Mutuku remarked that they have engaged their affiliate Federations and had meetings with them to agreed that there are two things that they'll be looking out for in the criteria of selection.
"The criteria should bring out the best Kenyan and should be made public for everyone to know what was being used and most importantly it should be understandable by the player."