SPORTS MARKETING
Is Kenya ’ s A Global Sports Powerhouse In The Making Or Pretender To The Crown ?
By Richard Wanjohi
The sports world ’ s been evolving in the recent past . Post-pandemic , a world caught up in recessive tendencies and a growing hint of nationalism across Europe , parts of Asia and South America . In the backwaters of Africa , the tempered sports evolution has been hampered by concerns of corruption , embezzlement , and the disparities in economic and social gaps .
While governments will support sporting activities for different reasons , it is the sports federations who are the custodians of their respective sports disciplines . Their mandate while sourced locally or nationally , every so often supersedes the national borders , with some attracting global support . A good example is the world of football . Football federations often wield power to an extent some of the top management decide to clash with the government officials - Kenya is one such case which has led to the suspension of the game from FIFA .
These conflicts bring to the fore the need to foster unity of purpose between the sports federations and governments of the day . Where the two have worked together closely , the potential of sport has been enormous and grown exponentially . A good case in point is the growth of basketball and cycling as a sport in Rwanda - with the annual events in Basketball Africa League ( BAL ) and Tour du Rwanda to boot .
Vision
When the technocrats in the Kenyan government drafted the Vision 2030 blueprint , the Social Pillar sought to focus on “ harness ( ing ) sports for enhanced social economic and political development ”. The document further went on to describe building and developing sports stadia , establishment of the International Academy of Sports , the National Sports Lottery Fund and establishment of ‘ Kenya Houses ’ at international sporting events .
The acknowledgement from the Government honchos , is the impact and effect of investing in sports . However , we know the state of sports in Kenya is still wanting , especially on the capitalraising , sustaining national leagues and organizations , and being competitive enough to win a fair share at international meets .
So why has Kenya not become the sports powerhouse that it ought to be ? How best can the sports federations and associations bring their strengths together to foster
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Being in the tropics as well as having high altitude areas such as Mt . Kenya and parts of the Rift Valley has made many sports scientists pitch camp to see if they can understand the connection between this and the sterling performances of our athletes . national unity ?
Boon
These are some of the key areas which currently give Kenya leverage to become a powerhouse in sports :
Multi-sport Country : In the continent and indeed across the world , Kenya has managed to produce sports personalities in many a sport - both traditional and non-traditional - from athletics and basketball to fencing and tennis . Beyond just producing the talent , the country has strong representation in team sports which offer an opportunity for nurturing youthful individuals .
The range and breadth of sports also brings in expertise in each of the disciplines enabling a wider involvement and investment from within and beyond the country . Good examples include our current rugby and volleyball teams coached by an Englishman and Serbian respectively .
Weather : On the natural side of things , the country offers some of the best weather conditions for many a sports person . This is in terms of training , acclimatizing , and conditioning in preparation for competition . A trip down memory lane shows one of the reasons Kenya won her first of many Olympic gold medals in Mexico in 1968 was because our athletes had managed to train in high altitude and acclimatized to withstand the humid conditions of Mexico City . Legendary British athlete Mo Farah used ( and continues using ) our highaltitude training facilities in Eldoret , parts of the Rift Valley for his long distance and marathon preparations .
Being in the tropics as well as having
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