Kenya's judo team eyes more slots in Africa Youth Games in Algeria

NAIROBI, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Kenya hopes to enter 14 judokas in this year's Africa Youth Games, which will be held in Algiers, Algeria in July. Five judokas have already qualified during the Africa Cadets and Youth Olympics qualifiers held in Bujumbura, Burundi.

"The target is to get seven girls and seven boys to make it to Kenyan team," Duncan Chemiyo, the Kenya Judo Association Vice Chairman, told reporters in Nairobi on Tuesday.

"We need to enter the remaining players in other qualifying competitions because this event, open to athletes under 18 years, is critical in their development," Chemiyo said.

Top performers from Algeria will qualify for the Youth Olympic Games, which will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina in October. "We shall send a budget to the government detailing which event will be held to ensure we send a bigger team," Chemiryo said.

The National Olympic Committee of Kenya has allocated judo 14 slots for the games as Kenya seeks to widen its medal scope beyond track and field competitions. The team will be coached by Joseph Mburu and assisted by Laurence Nyundo. The last Africa Youth Games were held in Gaborone, Botswana.

Now the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) president Paul Tergat, wants the country to diversify its medals and not just depend on track and field athletes. He said the country must do well in the games in order to increase its quota of athletes qualifying for the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in October.

The Youth Olympic Games is an elite international multi-sport event for the world's best young athletes between the ages of 15 and 18. Enditem