US President
Donald Trump has welcomed his Kenyan counterpart William Ruto to the 2028 Olympic
Games to be hosted in Los Angeles.
Trump expressed a strong admiration
for Kenyan athletes, saying he has followed their dominance on the world stage
for many years.
“President of Kenya, we have the Olympics here. They (Kenyans) do very well in the Olympics, those runners, I don't know what the heck you do with them, but they are very good,” he said.
“So we have the Olympics coming to
the United States, you know that. And you'll come as our guest.”
Trump made the remarks on Thursday
at the White House in Washington, DC, during the signing ceremony of the peace
agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The United States will host the 2028
Summer Olympics, where Kenya is expected to send a strong contingent of
athletes.
Most of the hopefuls will participate
in long and short-distance track events where the country traditionally
dominates.
The USA is also set to co-host the
2026 FIFA World Cup.
The upcoming football championship
is marred with immigration and travel regulations expected to affect fan
movement ahead of the global tournament.
The LA28 Summer Olympics will begin with an opening ceremony on July 14, 2028. The Paralympics will follow a month later, with their opening ceremony set for August 15.
Olympic events will run
from July 14 to July 30, while the Paralympic Games will take place from August
22 to September 3.
Los Angeles is preparing to host the Summer Olympics for the third time, having previously staged the Games in 1932 and 1984.
It will, however, be the first time the city hosts the Paralympic
Games.
LA28 Chairperson Casey Wasserman said the city’s character will be reflected in the event, noting that Los Angeles is known for its ambition and sense of possibility.
He added that the
city offers an ideal setting for what is expected to be one of the world's
largest cultural and sporting gatherings.
Alongside the 40 sports featured at the Paris Olympics, LA28 will add six others.
Flag football and squash will
appear for the first time. Baseball, softball, lacrosse and cricket will return
after being absent from recent editions of the Games.
Los Angeles last hosted the Olympics in 1984, a year that stands out in Team USA’s history.
American athletes finished at the top of the medal table with a total of 174 medals, including 83 golds.
