Eight men and eight women will represent Kenya in the World Taekwondo Under-21 Championships that will be held at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on December 3-6.
It will be the first time the championship is being hosted in Africa.
The team was selected on Saturday at Phoenix Gymnasium, Kahawa 44 in Nairobi, following knock-out and round-robin sessions involving 80 taekwondo fighters from across the country.
Taekwondo Federation of Kenya (TFK) president Suleiman Sumba said over 145 countries are expected to participate.
''Registration opened five days ago, with 15 countries already registered, including the United States, Poland, Germany, Brazil, and Sierra Leone. The final number of participating countries will be known by the fourth of next month,'' said Sumba.
''A largely inexperienced team will attend a residential camp in Nairobi before leaving for Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, in the first week of November for intense training,'' he added.
''The selection process, which began with county tournaments and culminated in national selection in August, identified athletes aged 17-21. While some athletes have prior experience, many are new to national competition, primarily participating at the county and regional levels,'' Akame said.
Stacy Alice, a Kenyatta University Sports Management student selected in the 53kg category, expressed confidence ahead of the championships.
“Expect good results from us. Expect wins and medals,'' Alice said.
Selina Zena, a USIU Computer Science student in the under 56kg welterweight division, said taekwondo has pushed her beyond her comfort zone.
''After training for four years, I secured victories in all the selection matches. Hopefully, I will make it to the final squad," Zena said.
Lesly Oure an Electrical and Communication Engineering student at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, also hopes to secure a spot in the final squad.
