Other Sports

Kenyan judokas gear up for African Championships with eyes on Olympic qualification

Past photo of Kenyan judokas. Photo courtesy KJF

By Michael Kirwa | Tuesday, April 9, 2024

Four Kenyan judokas are currently preparing for the African Judo Championships which will be held in Cairo, Egypt, from April 24 to April 28.

Four Kenyan judokas carry the nation’s hopes of being represented in judo at the Paris 2024.

The four judokas – Brian Kibet, Felix Akoko, Judith Owoko, and Zeddy Cherotich – are currently preparing for the African Judo Championships which will be held in Cairo, Egypt, from April 24 to April 28.

Keep reading

Brian Kibet, who is attached to the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), will compete in the U90 kg weight class.

Felix Akoko, who is a civilian, will represent Kenya in the U66 kg weight category.

Judith Owoko, who is a civilian attached to the Kenya Defence Forces team, will carry Kenya’s hopes in the +78 kg weight category.

Zeddy Cherotich, who is also attached to the KDF, will look to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics in the U78 weight class.

The four are being coached by Kenya Judo national team coach, Lawrence Nyundo.

The quartet will qualify automatically to the Paris 2024 Olympic games if they emerge the best in their various weight categories.

Judo is a grappling-based form martial sport that is slowly gaining popularity in Kenya over the years.

“We have been establishing dojos all over the country through partnering with local community leaders to get more Kenyans interested in the sport,” Duncan Chemiryo, who is the Kenya Judo Federation (KJF) Deputy President, told The Eastleigh Voice.

“Currently we have set up dojos in Eldama Ravine, Embu, Homa Bay, Kaloleni (Nairobi), Kilifi, Kitale, Kitui, Kwale, Machakos, Nakuru, and Rongai (Kajiado County),” Chemiryo added.

A dojo is a room or a hall where judo and other various forms of martial arts can be practiced.

“We also hope to set up a dojo in Eastleigh in partnership with the local community. We reckon that Eastleigh has many malls and if given space in one of them, we can provide judo mats, kits, and coaching personnel to get introduce the sport to Eastleigh youth who may be interested in taking it up,” David Busolo, who is the Kenya Judo Federation Treasurer, said.

Establishing a dojo in Eastleigh will blend well with KJF’s vision for the sport in Kenya.

“We want many Kenyans engaged in judo so that we can create a pipeline of talent for the sport in our country. We are focused on having permanent national teams in the cadet, junior, and senior teams categories. Other than health benefits, judo can also benefit Kenyan youth as it provides opportunities for them to travel and see the world,” Busolo added.

In judo, depending on the age classifications used in various competitions, cadet are judokas who are between 15 and 18 years; juniors are between 18 and 21 years; while senior are 21 years and above. Another category known as veterans is for judokas who are over 30 or 31 years old depending on a competition’s age classification.

Kenya has previously been represented at the Olympics in the sport in 1988, 1992, and 2016. Kenya has never won a medal in the sport at the Olympics but several individuals have won medals at the All African Games and the African Judo Championships over the years.