Kenya Baseball5 head coach Joe Walucho is confident his team can win gold at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics despite facing established sides such as France and Mexico.
Walucho believes Kenya has the quality to compete with the best as the team prepares for their Youth Olympics debut, with the coach setting his sights on the top of the podium.
“Kenya will be a country to watch heading into the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics. We will be facing powerhouses such as France and Mexico, but we have what it takes to come home with the gold,” said Walucho.
Team Kenya open their campaign against France on October 30, face Mexico on October 31 and conclude the group stage against Syria on November 1 as they chase a place in the knockout rounds.
Kenya and hosts Senegal are the only African representatives in Baseball5.
Walucho said the opener against France will be crucial in setting the tone for the campaign, insisting his players were capable of upsetting the European side.
“We are aiming for a top finish. Our first game is against France, a strong side and one of Europe's top teams. We did not face them the last time we competed in Mexico, but we believe we can beat them. Once we progress through the group stages, we will be aiming for nothing less than the top spot,” he added.
The coach acknowledged that rebuilding the squad presented a challenge since several players involved in the qualifiers are now past the age limit.
who helped Kenya qualify for the Games have aged out of the youth category.
“Our only concern is that the players who worked very hard last time have now aged out. I wish the players who fought so hard to earn this qualification were here. Nevertheless, the new team is equally good and ready for the challenge,” he said.
Walucho assured Kenyans: "We are carrying the hopes of the entire country, and we want to assure Kenyans that we will not disappoint them. We also want to assure Africa as a whole that we will perform well at these championships, which are being held on African soil for the first time.”
