The government has emphasized on the need to revive the long standing sports partnerships that have existed over the years between Kenya and South Korea in a bid to spur growth and development of the sector in the two counties.
Sports infrastructure in South Korea is at par with the world’s powerful nations, hence their competitiveness in global sporting arena besides becoming destinations of choice when it comes to hosting sports events.
One of Kenya’s memorable performances at the Olympics came in 1988 in Seoul where it bagged nine medals (5 gold, 2 silver and 2 gold).
Cabinet Secretary for Sports Dr Amina Mohamed believes it’s time for the two countries to revive collaborative engagement in sports in order to continue raising the standards of the game across the two nations.
“We discussed deepening of collaboration in Sports and Culture of our two countries. The support South Korea had continually extended to us has played a major role in our achievements and this is underscored by South Korea’s generous and timely donation of sporting equipment for the Team,” she said.
Amina was speaking while presiding over the handing over of the Taekwondo training equipment worth Sh2 million
donated by Korean Embassy to Kenyan Olympics bound Taekwondo Team.
South Korean Ambassador to Kenya, Choi Yeonghan vowed to revive the old flame they had with Kenya as far as sports is concerned not only in taekwondo but boxing and other disciplines.
“We are here to celebrate the friendship that has existed between the two countries by sharing equipment with the players to utilise not only for their Olympics preparations but other major championships,” said Choi.
Faith Ogallo, Kenya’s only taekwondo representative at the Summer games, says she has set herself the ambitious target of a podium finish at the rearranged Olympic Games.
The 27-year-old Kibabii University student, will be the country’s first taekwondo representative at an Olympic Games since Beijing 2008, after securing a berth to Japan through the African Taekwondo Olympic Qualification tournament in February last year.
“I’m targeting a podium finish in the Olympics,” the Bachelor of Arts degree in social work student affirmed. I will do it for pride and for the nation. It will not be easy, but I know it can be done. I would like taekwondo to grow locally like other sports through Government support,” she said.
Taekwondo in Kenya is fast gaining prominence and is poised to become a major player in the sporting space with many elite athletes making it to the top level of the game.
