Team Kenya set to begin departing for Commonwealth Games

The first batch of Kenyan athletes that will participate in the fourth coming Commonwealth Games is set to jet out tomorrow with the games beginning from Thursday next week to the 8th of August in Birmingham, England.

Eleven disciplines including athletics, boxing, squash, hockey, badminton, cycling, swimming, table tennis, triathlon, lawn bowls, and para-cycling players will comprise the team that will leave first.

Athletes currently in Oregon participating in the World athletics Championships will connect directly to Birmingham.

The Games’ Chef de Mission, John Ogolla, and the Chief Executive Officer, Humphrey Kayange departed on Sunday to ensure everything was in place for the team's arrival for the quadrennial Club Games including Covid-19 compliance.

PCR tests started being conducted from yesterday at the Residential Camp in Moi Stadium Kasarani for teams traveling on Friday.

All athletes have traveling documents in place after a checklist was issued to all team managers to ensure they have everything the team requires days before departure.

Elsewhere Kenya Sevens team will kick off their 2022 Commonwealth Games Rugby Sevens campaign with a match against neighbors and archrivals Uganda next week on Friday from 12.50 pm East African Time at the Coventry Stadium. Kenya are in Group D against Uganda, Jamaica and Australia.

A total 16 teams will be contesting for the gold medal with the Damian McGrath-coached side then face Jamaica at 8.58pm before winding up their pool matches on Saturday with a clash against Australia at 12.50pm.

New Zealand headline Group A where they will face off against England, Samoa and Sri Lanka.

Group B consists of African giants South Africa, Scotland, Tonga and Malaysia while Group C features Tokyo Olympic gold medalists Fiji, Canada, Wales and Zambia.

Kenya will be represented by a total 53 athletes, 32 men and 20 women but in total will have 127 sports men and women in different fields.