The Kenya National Beach Games will be staged in Malindi, Kilifi County from March 17- 19.
The National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) will host the inaugural Kenya National Beach Games as a test of the country’s capacity to bid for the hosting rights of the Africa Beach Games in 2025.
The beach games will also be used as a build-up for the continental games slated for Tunisia from 14 to 23 June and the World Beach Games which will take place in Bali, Indonesia in August. The local event will be staged in Malindi, Kilifi County from March 17- 19.
The local event will witness 15 beach events and popular local beach games during the two-day festival. NOC-K intends to offer a fantastic opportunity to connect with a diverse and enthusiastic audience and cultivate the next generation of athletes and sports fans under exciting, innovative, and dynamic sports.
The sports program will include; Aquathlon, basketball 3x3, judo, boxing, wrestling, taekwondo, beach handball, beach soccer, beach tennis, beach volleyball 4x4, coastal rowing, freestyle football, karate kata, kiteboarding, and open-water swimming.
NOC-K will also use the Games to promote environmental awareness and sustainability through the utilization of existing or, where necessary, beach-friendly temporary low infrastructure development, minimizing environmental impact and promoting sustainability.
So far, the Kenya Beach Games will see close to 600 athletes and officials descend on Malindi with prize money having been introduced.
Already, the competitiveness has federations like Tennis making their event a world-ranking points event and a part of the International Tennis Federation Beach Tennis 10s event. Their event will be open and countries have already confirmed including France, Spain, Rwanda, and Uganda.
Beach Handball has announced that this will be a qualification for Africa Beach Games while Beach Volleyball 4x4 will use it as an identification pathway. Aquathlon will have six female athletes and six male athletes ages 15-19 years and will also have a mixed relay to test the teams.
3x3 Basketball will be played with the sunset and carried on into the night. Traditional sports by the community including Ajua, Kerum, dhow racing, and fishing will also feature in the event.
Through the event, NOC-K also aims to develop a sustainable sporting culture and promote Olympism. They also intend to give the youth attracted to innovative events an opportunity for an exciting sporting festival as they look to reinforce Kenya’s position as a premier sports tourism destination among other objectives.
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