Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed has welcomed the decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to postpone the 2020 Tokyo Summer games due to the coronavirus.
In a statement, Amina noted that the country understands that the decision was not easy and it was taken into consideration in the highest regard for the values and ideals of Olympism, the welfare of current or aspiring Olympians and the well being of the human race.
She added that the multi-agency Olympic and Paralympic Steering and Central Management Committee and the National Paralympics Committee will continue with preparations in line with the government's safety directives.
On his part, the National Olympic Committee of Kenya(NOCK) Acting secretary-general, Francis Mutuku, welcomed the move to postpone the 2020 Tokyo games owing to the pandemic
"In the wake of the challenges posed by the spread of COVID 19, Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games were unfeasible and too risky to undertake. The Olympic Games are the epitome of sports all over the world and it is every athlete’s dream to participate," he said in a statement.
He said with the outbreak and spread of coronavirus, it was impractical for countries to send their athletes considering the high risk of getting infected.
Mutuku added with the bold decision, the IOC has provided our athletes with an opportunity to re-strategise and plan their training and conditioning with winning medals at the Olympics a top priority.
"We call on all our athletes to continue training in their private confines, until such a time that it is safe again to train in groups. We hope the COVID 19 pandemic ceases soon so that the preparations for the Olympic Games can continue in earnest for NOCK," added Mutuku.
In the meantime, he said the federation will be engaging the IOC on qualification pathways for disciplines that had their qualifiers cancelled.
"We are hopeful that the targets set by NOCK for the Olympics will still attainable despite the coronavirus crisis. The Nock spokesman urged athletes and sportspeople to continue adhering to the guidelines provided by the government in a bid to stop the rapid spread of coronavirus and get us back on track.
