Kenya Karate team seeks first gold at African Games

A bronze medal won at the 2011 All Africa games is all what the Kenya Karate team has to show from the quadrennial event and the current crop is keen to change that.

David Kimani, the captain of the team that will compete at the August 19-31 event in Rabat says the team is out to bring home the country’s first gold medal in the event.

A team of 10 Karatekas, six Men and 4 Women have been selected from a provisional pool of 48 currently in residential training at the Moi International Sports center Kasarani, with a clear mantle to punch above their weight in order to add more medals in the Kenyan basket.

Anthony Amani is the only Kenyan Karateka to win a medal, a bronze, won in the 2011 in Maputo Mozambique and Kimani believes Kenya’s chances dwindle due to a small number of athletes selected to represent the country and lack on international exposure.  Their first mandate being to overcome the African power houses in the sport.

“They have been there for some time and they don’t miss any event, but we have our challenges, even after had training for a championship we fail to attend due to lack of funds,” the captain told Citizen Digital.

The team will have to overcome stiff challenge from Africa’s best from Algeria, Egypt, Congo, Senegal, Cameroon and South Africa who topped the medal standings in Congo Brazzaville four years ago.

“We are working on focus and the technique and with a good physical fitness, we are going to make it,” Kimani added.

Head coach John Owiti is however optimistic that with the number of participants increased Kenya will have better chances at the games.

“We are given few slots because we have not been able to come home with medals, but this time I want to prove them wrong so that in the upcoming events we are given a good number,” Owiti says

A total of 290 athletes will represent Kenya in 22 different disciplines.