The abundance of sporting talent in Kenya continues to attract internationally-acclaimed sports gear retailers with RA Sports Trading opening a store at Westgate Mall, Nairobi.
The shop, which opened during a Covid-19-ravaged November 2020, exclusively stocks gear from German giant Adidas.
The Egyptian company believe that the new store will provide Kenyan sportspersons with easier access to quality, modern and affordable Adidas kit for different disciplines.
“We chose Kenya because it is a sporting country that has a rich sporting tradition thanks to its talented sportsmen and women. It is the hub of East Africa and a host to many foreign missions including the United Nations,” Karim Montasser, RA’s country operations manager, said.
Montasser believes that RA’s entry into Kenya offers sportspersons an array of sport brand names from which to choose for their training and exploits on the field.
“When we came to Kenya, we found only Nike. The retail sports industry here in Kenya needs more investors and brands. The market here is large and accommodates more than one brand,” he said.
The shop, which was opened by the Egyptian Ambassador to Kenya Khaled El Abyad, has four Kenyan employees.
"We decided to open during the Covid-19 pandemic to offer hope at a time when most organisations were facing numerous challenges. It was not easy but our belief the Kenyan market and the opportunities here pushed us to break the ice between us and potential customers," said Montasser.
He added that Chief Executive Officer Adel Elsharkawy and regional operations manager Ismael El Mahdy are keen to introduce Puma — another German sportswear giant — into the Kenyan market through the RA franchise, in addition to establishing other branches countrywide in an effort to enhance the growth of sports at the grassroots.
“Apart from Puma, we may introduce other sports brand later into the Kenyan market. We will open the Puma shop in April at the Westgate Mall and afterwards, we will establish shops in other cities, such as Mombasa,” Montasser said.
RA has more than 120 stores with more than 15 brands in Egypt and has started expanding their wings with one shop in Sudan and another in Uganda, where they also have two factory outlets.
