Aisha Nasser and Joseph Okal will benefit from the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) funds ahead of African Triathlon Cup Championships set for next month.
The top Kenyan Triathlon Athletes Nasser and Okal, who competed for Kenya at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games will lead Kenya Triathlon Federation when the country hosts the continental championships on November 27th in Kilifi County.
NOC-K handed a Kshs. 927,000 to go towards meeting the costs of the main event where 25 Kenyan athletes are expected to compete.
The Kenya Triathlon Federation Treasurer Rommel Lukila expressed his elation to be the host of the continental showpiece.
“We are very privileged to be hosting the event because the African Cup has never come to Kenya. We are looking forward to a big race and I believe this will help in opening up an opportunity for our athletes who have not had the chance to go out and get a feel of international competition. We are very grateful to NOC-K for agreeing to partner with us which will help us in creating awareness and popularizing triathlon.’’
NOC-K Secretary General, Francis Mutuku lauded the move and successful bid by Triathlon Federations to host the African Cup and encouraged more federations to pursue similar opportunities.
“Part of our strategic direction initiative is to improve the exposure of athletes to international competition. We have supported various Federations over the past two months to participate in international and continental events. This support has also been extended to federations that are hosting tournaments and qualifiers within Kenya. We acknowledge improved performance due to the exposure gained during these competitions.”