Need for change in sports

The recent Commonwealth Games and World Athletics Under-20 Championships have highlighted the need for Kenya to diversify its sports offerings. The country's overall performance, reflected in collecting only 12 medals and finishing 13th, reveals a concerning trend. Among the African nations, Kenya trailed behind Nigeria and South Africa in medal count. The drop in performance, compared to past events, indicates that Kenya must make significant strides to improve in future competitions.

The Commonwealth Games saw Kenya secure three gold, four silver, and five bronze medals, placing it behind Nigeria in seventh and South Africa in 11th. This marks Kenya's poorest performance since the 1962 Games in Perth, Australia, where the country collected five medals. The absence of more than four gold medals in any event is a worrying sign, with countries like Australia and India making significant inroads in the country's distance races domain.

In terms of non-athletics sports, Kenya's weightlifting team managed only one medal in weightlifting. The country must now seriously consider the debate on diversification to reduce overdependence on athletics. Other nations have managed to secure gold medals from various sports, such as para powerlifting and weightlifting for Nigeria, and swimming and para swimming for South Africa. Australia has also made headway in Kenya's athletics domain, just as Uganda did in distance races.

The failure to secure a medal in men's 10,000m for the first time in 40 years is particularly concerning, especially after Australia's Rose Davies won both women's 10,000m and 5,000m titles in Glasgow. The second-place finish at the World Under-20 Championships, with four gold medals compared to the USA's 12 gold medals, further underscores the need for change. Kenya's struggles in the 800m and 3,000m steeplechase also highlight areas that require improvement.