Kenya out to increase its participation at LA28

Beatrice Chebet and Faith Kipyegon celebrate after winning gold and silver medals, respectively, during the Women's 5000m at the World Athletics Championships 2025 at the National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, on September 20, 2025.[AFP]

Kenya is out to beef up its participation at the 2028 Los Angeles (LA28) Olympic Games set for the USA.

The country is working to increase its disciplines from six at the 2024 Paris Games to 10 in the forthcoming LA28 showdowns.

This was the message put across by the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K), which hosted a two-day Olympic Solidarity Forum (OSF) that ended on Thursday in Nairobi.

The high-profile seminar, supported by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (Anoca) brought together 54 nations.

A similar forum was held in the Kenyan capital last week for Africa's French-speaking zones.

"We are targeting to present 10 disciplines in LA28, so we, as NOC-K, are working closely with all the associations in the country to ensure this happens," NOC-K president Shadrack Maluki told Standard Sports.

"We have told the federations' heads to work on their weak points and to strengthen their strong points to ensure we qualify more athletes for LA28.

"Also, to ensure Kenya's pathway to LA28 is successful, we are working closely with the Sports Ministry and the Government so that the athletes and the associations are funded fully to take part in the various qualification processes," Maluki said.

Maluki hailed Kenya's hosting of the OSF, saying the event has granted Africa's NOCs an opportunity to discuss how the continent can achieve podium finishes in LA28.

"Hosting of this seminar is a great plus to Kenya and the continent. From the forum, we have established that African nations need proper equipment and competitive leagues to present world-class athletes at the LA28," said Maluki, who is also hopeful that one day the continent will host Olympic Games.

Yassine Yousfi, the IOC's Head of Entourage Unit, who graced the OSF in Nairobi, noted that the Anoca members got the opportunity to be furnished with information regarding visas, accommodation, and accreditation, among other important information ahead of LA28.

"We chose Nairobi for this seminar because Kenya is very phenomenal and proficient when it comes to Olympic matters. The country has made all the visiting delegates feel at home. The IOC is also working closely with US government to ensure there is smooth visa issuance to LA28-qualified athletes and the NOCs across the globe," Yousfi said.