• The event is part of a robust plan to develop a sustainable sporting culture and the Olympic Movement in Kenya.
• More than 15 beach competitions and popular local beach games will take place.
Image: /FILE
National Olympic Committee of Kenya will utilise the inaugural National Beach Games event to assess its readiness to host the next continental show.
The first-ever Kenya Beach Games (KBG) will be held in Malindi, Kilifi County, from March 17-19.
"Kenya, through NOC-K, has put its foot forward by hosting the Beach Games as a test of its preparedness of the beach sport for the continental Games. NOC-K wants to test it's capacity to bid for hosting rights for the continental Games 2025," NOC-K said in a statement.
The event is part of a robust plan to develop a sustainable sporting culture and the Olympic Movement in Kenya.
During the two-day festival, more than 15 beach competitions and popular local beach games will take place.
Aquathlon, basketball 3x3, judo, boxing, wrestling, taekwondo, beach handball, beach soccer, beach tennis, beach volleyball 4x4, coastal rowing, freestyle football, karate kata, kiteboarding, and open-water swimming will be among the sports offered.
"Beach Games has become a highly globally embraced version of the sport since its inaugural World Beach Games in 2019. The Games were organized by the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) in Qatar," the statement stated.
The Africa Beach Games will be hosted in Hamamet, Tunisia in June, while the World Beach Games will be held in Bali, Indonesia in August.
NOC-K said the excitement of Beach Games is its ability to combine the informality and vibrancy of the beach to create a youth-centric beach, water, and action sports festival.
"The Kenya National Beach Games offer a fantastic opportunity to connect with a diverse and enthusiastic audience and cultivate the next generation of athletes and sports fans under exciting, innovative, and dynamic sports."
The Kenya Beach Games will draw over 600 athletes and officials to Malindi.
Beach Handball has indicated that this will be a qualification for the Africa Beach Games while Beach Volleyball 4x4 will use it as a pathway to identification.
Aquathlon will feature six female racers and six male athletes aged 15 to 19 as well as a mixed relay to put the teams to the test.
3x3 Basketball, a game on the rise, will begin with the sunset and continue into the night. The event, inspired by streetball, will be played amid music and will be the KBG's showpiece.
Traditional community sports such as Ajua, Kerum, dhow racing, and fishing will also be featured in the KBG.