ANOCA Zone V president Donald Rukare/HANDOUT More than 300 athletes from 11 countries are expected to compete in the ANOCA Zone V Youth Games, which were officially launched in Nairobi on Wednesday.
The competition, scheduled for August 24-28, brings together athletes from Burundi, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
The athletes will compete in athletics, 3x3 basketball, beach volleyball, cycling, judo, swimming and tennis.
Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports Salim Mvurya, who launched the games at Talanta Plaza, said the government would provide the necessary support to ensure a successful tournament.
“We take this with pride and commitment. We will ensure the necessary support is accorded during the tournament by different government sectors. We will use this opportunity to mobilise our business ecosystem,” Mvurya said.
“This is an investment for the future of African sports."
Mvurya said the ministry is working with the Kenya Academy of Sports and schools to scout and develop young talent.
“We want sports to be a source of livelihood for our young people and we have worked on the rewarding scheme. I want to thank all stakeholders and Kenyatta University for agreeing to host such an event,” he said.
He urged the athletes to use the games as preparation for the Olympic Youth Games scheduled for Dakar, Senegal, in October.
Mvurya also wants Kenya to host more international competitions, saying the country has the infrastructure and sporting profile for such.
“Nigeria has applied and Kenya is ready also to host the Commonwealth Games. We have the infrastructure and profile as a sporting country to host the Commonwealth Games. We also want to leverage our East African unity to ensure we host many tournaments as a region,” he said.
ANOCA Zone V president Donald Rukare said the organisers are looking forward to exciting competition.
“We look forward to three days of exciting competition for more than 300 athletes,” Rukare said.
“We hope to ensure they go on to conquer their particular fields. Our future champions are made through these games,” he added.
National Olympic Committee of Kenya president Shadrack Maluki said Kenya is keen to showcase its ability to host major international events.
“Kenya has been a voice in the continent. We have athletes, we have the infrastructure. We want to show the world what we have. We want to make sports an employer of the youth,” Maluki said.
Young swimmer Issabel Mwangi, who will represent Kenya, promised that the athletes would compete with honour and discipline.
“It’s an honour to represent our country. We promise to compete with honour and discipline across the tournament. We are looking forward to an exciting competition,” she said.
Local Organising Committee chairperson Angela Luchivya said the games would provide an important platform for talent development.
“ANOCA is not only about competition but also talent development. These games are for the youth to learn and dream bigger. We are looking forward to welcoming the region to Nairobi,” Luchivya said.
