Sports conferences bode well for Kenya’s future aspirations
From left: National Olympic Council of Kenya officials Barnaba Korir (Chair of the Athletics Kenya Youth Development), Deputy President Shadrack Maluki, Secretary General Francis Mutuku and Deputy Treasurer John Ogolla address journalists during a presser at NOC-K offices in Nairobi on October 17, 2023.
What you need to know:
- Tennis Kenya will host all the heads of tennis federations in Africa for the elective General Assembly in Nairobi. Alongside the African guests will be president of the International Tennis Federation who will visit Kenya after his recent re-election.
In the next 15 days, Kenya will play host to three critical and eye-opening sports events.
Tennis Kenya will host all the heads of tennis federations in Africa for the elective General Assembly in Nairobi. Alongside the African guests will be president of the International Tennis Federation who will visit Kenya after his recent re-election.
Beginning November, the Olympic Solidarity will host its inaugural Finance Forum in Mombasa. This will bring together all the treasurers, finance directors or finance officers of the 54-member Olympic Committees of Africa. Members of the International Olympic Committee will also attend, most of whom will facilitate the forum.
Immediately after the Finance Forum, Kenya will host the 40th Secretaries General Seminar under the auspices of the Association of National Olympics Committees of Africa (ANOCA). With secretaries general of African Olympic Committees in attendance, the seminar will play host to 2024 Paris Olympics organising team accompanied by International Olympic Committee staff. There will also be representatives from some international sports bodies and agencies as well.
Perhaps these two sessions in Mombasa will have the highest representation of sports leadership in Kenya in the last 20 years.
The National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) is very strategic in hosting these events and forums now and in future. The plan is to ensure that we have as many sports conferences, meetings or seminars as possible both at the National Olympic Committee level and Federations’ level.
Sports has the opportunity to match and surpass the levels of conferences which have been hosted in Kenya of late. A look at the local hospitality industry will show high bookings courtesy of conferences and meetings in the country. The notable one this year was the Climatic Summit which brought together several world leaders.
We shall be demonstrating to the world what Kenya has to offer with regard to sports conferences. This will provide a positive international perception about sports in Kenya, giving opportunities for like-minded sports leaders to meet, network, and share valuable connections.
Beyond sports, the promotion of Kenya as a tourist and business destination will be enhanced. We demonstrate what sports tourism is about practically. The delegates also impact the tourism industry directly. While in the country, they will also visit several tourist attraction sites and understandably some will extend their stay for visits across Kenya.
The shilling has struggled against the dollar and other foreign currencies but the delegates will bring in foreign currency - spending from the airport, hotels, small businesses around these facilities not to mention short term employment opportunities for Kenyans. Media focus on Kenya through the days preceding, during and after the events will significantly raise Kenya’s profile as a destination of sports events. The expert presentations will also grow the capacity of sports administrators here.
Mutuku is the Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya. [email protected]
