Taekwondo team arrives in Rwanda after 31 hours on the road
innocent Wafula showcases his taekwondo skills during an interview at Nation Centre on July 9, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Apart from Ogallo, Aluoch and Muriu also bagged a bronze medal each in their categories in Dakar as Kenya finished eighth out of 15 countries.
- Officials traveling with the second batch are head of delegation George Wasonga, team manager Nesmas Mbati and coach Moses Muturi.
The first batch of the national taekwondo team arrived in Kigali, Rwanda after a grueling 31-hour journey by road on Monday night for the African Team Cup Taekwondo Championship slated for July 13-17.
Olympian Milka Akinyi along with Christopher Mutua, Cosmas Kimathi, Moses Mairang’a, Victor Nyakinda, Kennedy Kimemia, Hassan Juma and Hassan Nyare were in the first batch which left Nairobi for Rwanda aboard Modern Coast bus on July 10 at 3.30pm and arrived the following day at 11.00pm.
“We had several stopovers in Naivasha, Kisumu, Busia, Kampala and Katuna border before we finally entered Kigali. The experience was good because we were many, but some of us who were not used to long distance travel had complications like swollen feet,” said Kimathi, who won gold at Tanzania Open in 2019.
He will compete in poomsae (pattern competition) under 40 years old category where he expects to get a medal despite admitting competition will be stiff.
The second batch comprising Edna Sichangi (Finweight), Sharon Wafula (Flyweight), Mary Muriu (Bantamweight), Everlyn Aluoch (Middleweight), Olympian Faith Ogallo (Heavyweight), Shawn Michael (Featherweight), Evans Oduor (Lightweight), Innocent Wafula (Middleweight) and Moses Obara (Heavyweight) departs at 3.00pm on Wednesday.
Innocent told Nation Sport that he has prepared well and expects to get a medal at Kigali Arena.
“My main threats are definitely 2016 Olympic gold medalist Sallah Cisse from Ivory Coast who is the defending African champion, and a Chadian player,” he said.
Ogallo, who competed at the Olympics last year in Tokyo, also exuded confidence she will strike a medal.
“I’m ready and I hope to improve on the bronze medal that I got in Dakar, Senegal last year,” she said.
Apart from Ogallo, Aluoch and Muriu also bagged a bronze medal each in their categories in Dakar as Kenya finished eighth out of 15 countries.
Officials traveling with the second batch are head of delegation George Wasonga, team manager Nesmas Mbati and coach Moses Muturi.
