Nygel Jayden of Thika Swim Academy during the national championships held at Kasarani /HANDOUTKenya Aquatics has been forced to slash its squad for the CANA Zone Three Championships in Uganda from a planned 70 swimmers to just 25 after the Ministry of Sports reduced its budget, citing the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games as its top priority.
The championships will be held at Kampala International School from October 21 to 25, with Kenya now facing the challenge of assembling a competitive team across three disciplines: conventional swimming, open water and water polo.
Kenya Aquatics technical director Omar Omari said the federation would have to revise its selection plans following the budget cuts, with the conventional swimming team bearing the biggest reduction.
Of the 50 swimmers initially considered for conventional swimming, only 10 will make the trip. Open water swimming will have six representatives instead of the planned 16, while water polo will send nine players, down from 12.
Omari admitted that the decision had dealt the federation a setback, forcing the selection panel to reconsider its options as it seeks to maintain Kenya’s medal prospects. “We have had to chop and change the team several times because we were looking to send a fairly large squad to the championship, but due to the cuts, the selection panel will have to sit down and take the best swimmers to the championship to give us a chance of winning medals,” said Omari.
Despite the reduced numbers, Omari expressed confidence in the swimmers’ preparations, insisting that those selected have what it takes to represent the country. “Whichever team is selected, I believe they have trained well and are ready for the championship. We will be putting the final touches next week before departure in the week beginning October 18,” he said.
Kenya will be looking to improve on its second-place finish at the previous edition, where the team collected 3,572 points. Daniel Ndirangu was the standout performer, winning five gold medals in an impressive individual campaign.
Hosts Uganda topped the standings with 3,933 points, earning the right to stage this year’s championships. Kenya will face a strong field that includes hosts Uganda, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Botswana, Rwanda and other countries.
South Africa is expected to provide the stiffest competition in open water swimming and water polo, further underlining the challenge facing Kenya’s reduced squad. With limited places available, the selection panel now faces selection headache.
