Sporting highlights Kenyans can look forward to in 2025

These two major sports facilities have been under renovation for some time. They will likely be completed this month to welcome a major continental football event in Kenya for the first time.

Kenya did lose the rights to host the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) and 2018 Chan over lack of preparations.

The draw for Chan 2024 was due to be held in Cairo, Egypt last night and involved Morocco, Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Congo, DR Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, Rwanda, Zambia, Angola and Madagascar.

Eliminated from the 2025 Afcon and all but out of the running in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Chan offers Kenya’s long-suffering fans a chance to watch their beloved Harambee Stars battle at continental level.

A world-class stadium, Talanta Sports City in Nairobi, has been earmarked for completion in December. MISC, Talanta Sports City, and Eldoret’s Kipchoge Keino stadiums are facilities expected to be used for the 2027 Afcon that will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Talanta Sports City is a new stadium with a seating capacity of 60,000. It will be the first to be constructed since the 60,000-seater Moi International Sports Centre was completed way back in 1987.

After eight disastrous years under the bungling Nick Mwendwa, there is a breath of fresh air at the Football Kenya Federation under the new presidency of Hussein Mohammed who was elected last month.

Mohammed, the CEO of Extreme Sports, has his work cut out in cleaning the image of football in the country as well as bringing back sponsors to the nation’s most popular sport. The game can only grow, surely.

The leadership of National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) under legendary runner Paul Tergat will change in April when elections are held. Tergat will complete his two, four-year terms. NOC-K has always been led by a person with an athletics background. Will that change come April?

Having hosted the 2007 World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Mombasa, the 2017 World Under-18 Championships in Nairobi, and the 2021 World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya now wants the big one: the World Athletics Championships.

Athletics Kenya has indicated intentions of bidding for the 2029 event after an unsuccessful bid for the 2025 championships that was given to Tokyo.

Speaking of the 2025 World Athletics Championships, Kenya will once again look to shine in Tokyo, inspired by Olympic champions Faith Kipyegon, Beatrice Chebet, and Emmanuel Wanyonyi, among others. 

Kipyegon bagged gold in 1,500 metres and 5,000m at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary in 2023, while Chebet and Wanyonyi settled for bronze and silver in 5,000m and 800m, respectively.

The trio put up dominant displays at the Paris 2024 Olympics and will be among the exciting talents from Kenya to watch out for in athletics this year.

Chebet boasts of the women’s 10,000m world record of 28 minutes, 54.14 seconds registered in 2024, while Wanyonyi came very close to bringing down David Rudisha’s 800m world record of one minute and 40.91 seconds which has stood for 12 years now.

Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala will be chasing the elusive podium finish at the global stage in 100m after failing at the 2022 and 2023 World Athletics Championships as well as the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games despite being touted as a potential medallist.

Omanyala will celebrate his 29th birthday on January 2 no doubt thinking of medaling in men’s 60m at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in China, and more. He finished fourth in the last edition in Glasgow, Scotland in March 2024.

Kenya Sevens fans will be a bundle of nerves this year as Shujaa battle in the World Series.

Under Kevin Wambua, a new-look Shujaa have shown great promise after returning to the elite Series inspired by speedster Patrick Odongo, Nygel Amaitsa, and George Ooro. After two legs, Shujaa lie ninth in the 12-nation Series and with four legs to go still have time to fight against relegation.

Kenya Lionesses, coached by Dennis Mwanja, have the opportunity to vie for a top-four place in the women’s Challenger Series to qualify for the Grand Final and opportunity to tussle for a place in the coveted World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series. The Lionesses have never competed in the World Series.

Kenya Simbas will also be hunting for 2027 Rugby World Cup tickets at the Rugby Africa Cup.

With the Young Olympic Games in 2026 in Dakar, Senegal, Kenyan players aged 15 to 18 will also be keen to qualify for the quadrennial event with 3x3 basketball, rugby sevens, swimming, weightlifting, and tennis offering bright prospects for Kenyans to step onto the global stage.

Kenya’s African Games women's singles tennis champion Angella Okutoyi has held on to her dream of playing in a Grand Slam -- Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open, at senior level.

Players with an international ranking of 500 and under are eligible for the four world tennis Majors and this could be the breakthrough year for Okutoyi whose ambition is also to compete at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics in the USA.

Okutoyi’s career-best in singles in WTA ranking is 491 achieved on July 29, 2024. She ended 2024 in position 728 meaning she has a lot to do in the two W35 Nairobi tournaments at Nairobi Club to improve her ranking before going back to Auburn University where she is on full scholarship. 

Okutoyi, who turns 21 on January 29, missed out on the Paris 2024 Games because she was ranked outside the top-400.

After Kenya successfully hosted the well-attended African Continental Cycling Championships in Nandi, Uasin Gichu, and Elgeyo Marakwet counties in October, visiting UCI boss David Lappartient indicated that talks were being held for an inaugural Tour of Kenya to be staged this year.

What a year 2025 could turn out to be!

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