NAIROBI, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Kenya hopes to break the ice and compete at their Olympic debut in taekwondo at the Tokyo Games in 2021 with Faith Ogalo having secured her ticket.
However, Suleiman Sumba, president of the Kenya Taekwondo Federation, said better performance will be down to early preparations and government support as Kenya widens its medal hunt beyond track and field competition.
"I have to say we are focused to make a good impact at the Olympic Games. We already have Ogola making the team, but we also look at having one or two more players getting the wild card, especially Evelyn Aluoch, who won bronze at the Africa Games," Sumba said on Friday in Bungoma, where the players are training.
Apart from the Tokyo Games, Sumba will be keen to prepare a team for the future with focus on the Youth Olympics, which will be held for the first time in Africa in Dakar, Senegal in 2022.
"This team will be critical for us as they will be matured enough to make the 2024 Olympics and represent the country in many more competitions to come," said Sumba.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has introduced, for the first time, mixed team taekwondo in the program of events with male and female athletes competing alongside one another as a medal event. Enditem
