National Olympic Committee of Kenya intends to increase the number of participants to the 2012 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland in a bid to surpass their performance of 2010.
NOCK assistant treasurer, Stephen Arap Soi, revealed that the country will field 261 participants in Glasgow compared to 248 who featured in the 2010 event in New Delhi, India. Kenya seeks to send athletes in various disciplines including athletics, badminton, swimming, boxing, cycling, judo, bowling, rugby sevens, shooting, squash, table tennis, triathlon, weight-lifting and wrestling in the event planned for July 23 to August 3.
Soi said they are also preparing a team for Elite Athletes with disabilities event which will feature track and field, swimming, cycling, lawn balls, shooting, table tennies and power lifting.
“We have already informed the federations on what is required of them in terms of qualification and accreditation of athletes as directed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC),” said Soi. “The accreditation ends February 2014 and we plan to engage in qualification activities come early next month.”
Soi also revealed that they have a projected budget of Sh332m, which includes funds for federations’ qualification process activities.
“The government will be the biggest contributor to this budget and we have already presented it to the ministry, in the hope that we will get the funds as we start our activities next month,” said Soi. “Nock will also play a part in provision of these funds.”
“About Sh82m will be needed by the federations to take their athletes through qualification.”
Meanwhile, The Queen’s Button, the Commonwealth Games equivalent of the Olympic Flame is expected in the country of January 12, 2014. “The Button carries the Queen Elizabeth’s message which will be read during the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony,” explained Soi.
“It will arrive from Sierra Leone and will be on a nine-month tour of 70 territories and countries, covering a distance of over 190,000km before returning back to Scotland just before the Games.”
He added that the Button will be paraded in a yet to be established venue with federations lined up for relays on January 12. Children will have their relay at Karura Forest on January 13 before departing for Uganda on January 14.
Meanwuile, the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games are on course to perhaps be one of the most memorable Commonwealth Games ever. 6,500 athletes from 70 countries will compete in 17 sports over 11 days. From the precision of lawn bowls to the exciting combat of wrestling and judo—from the high adrenaline of track events to the grace and beauty of gymnastics— the 2014 Glasgow will be the stage for a fantastic summer of sport, as well as a massive range of cultural and arts events for everyone.
Most sports will take place on three compact site clusters to the east, south and west of the city centre, but there are some events that take place outside the city including shooting at Carnoustie; Edinburgh will host diving and Strathclyde Country Park will host triathlon.
This will be the third time Scotland has hosted the Commonwealth Games, and there is always enormous public interest and support for the Games; as Games Ambassador Billy Connolly says, “Glaswegians are great partakers, support IS our sport!”