Basketball In Kenya
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Sport is an important element of
Kenyan culture The culture of Kenya consists of multiple traditions and trends. Kenya has no single prominent culture that identifies it. Its cultural heritage and modern expressions of culture instead consist of various cultures, shaped and practiced by th ...
. Various indigenous traditional sports have prevailed in Kenyan culture from its earliest history. Some of the traditional games and sports prevalent in Kenya since antiquity have included wrestling, racing exercises, stick fights, hunting (using spears and arrows), board games, bull fights and dances.Nyaga, L. R. K. (2011). Valued Outcomes in Youth Sport Programs in Kenya: Towards the Government’s Vision 2030. Doctoral Dissertation. Springfield College, Massachusetts, USA. Most modern sports in Kenya owe credit to the
British colonisation The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...
. Professional teams in form of clubs were organised by colonial British settlers and Asian contractors as early as 1922, before the establishment of formal schools.Kanyiba Nyaga, L. R. (2011). The History of Sports in Kenya. Unpublished Book Manuscript Sports were introduced in schools in 1925. The syllabus for teaching sport through physical training in schools (extracurricular activity) was produced in 1935. Football and athletics (track and field)Nyaga, L. R. K. (2008). Management of middle and long distance elite runners in Kenya. Master’s thesis. Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya. respectively were the first sports to be professionally organized. Today, many sports are popular in Kenya, played both professionally and as recreational physical activities. The most popular sport in Kenya is football. Sports played in Kenya today include
athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competiti ...
(track & field and other running events),
cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
,
field hockey Field hockey is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with ten outfield players and a goalkeeper. Teams must drive a round hockey ball by hitting it with a hockey stick towards the rival team's shooting ci ...
,
motor sport ''Motor Sport'' is a monthly motor racing magazine, founded in the United Kingdom in 1924 as the ''Brooklands Gazette''. The name was changed to ''Motor Sport'' for the August 1925 issue. The magazine covers motor sport in general, although from ...
s,
Association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
,
rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
,
volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
,
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
, swimming and
diving Diving most often refers to: * Diving (sport), the sport of jumping into deep water * Underwater diving, human activity underwater for recreational or occupational purposes Diving or Dive may also refer to: Sports * Dive (American football), a ...
,
team handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...
,
netball Netball is a ball sport played on a court by two teams of seven players. It is among a rare number of sports which have been created exclusively for female competitors. The sport is played on indoor and outdoor netball courts and is specifical ...
, rounders,
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
,
shooting Shooting is the act or process of discharging a projectile from a ranged weapon (such as a gun, bow, crossbow, slingshot, or blowpipe). Even the acts of launching flame, artillery, darts, harpoons, grenades, rockets, and guided missiles can ...
,
softball Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...
,
bicycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, Physical exercise, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bike ...
,
martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...
(
boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...
, Shotokan karate, Goju Ryu karate, Shorin Ryu karate,
kickboxing Kickboxing is a combat sports, combat sport focused on kicking and punch (strike), punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is pract ...
,
judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponi ...
, Mantis kenPo and taekwondo), Lawn Tennis,
Table Tennis Table tennis, also known as ping-pong and whiff-whaff, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball, also known as the ping-pong ball, back and forth across a table using small solid rackets. It takes place on a hard table div ...
, Squash,
Badminton Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players pe ...
,
Golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...
,
Canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other acti ...
,
Chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to disti ...
, Goal Ball, Horse Riding/Equestrianism,
Polo Polo is a ball game played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world's oldest known team sports. The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ...
,
Weightlifting Weightlifting generally refers to activities in which people lift Weight training#Equipment, weights, often in the form of dumbbells or barbells. People lift various kinds of weights for a variety of different reasons. These may include various t ...
,
Wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...
,
Archery Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...
, Roller Sports,
Ice Hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
and Mountain Sports – Kenya. Globally, Kenya is mainly known for its dominance in middle-distance and
long-distance Long distance or Long-distance may refer to: *Long-distance calling *Long-distance operator *Long-distance relationship * Long-distance train *Long-distance anchor pylon, see dead-end tower Footpaths *Long-distance trail *European long-dista ...
races.


Athletics (track & field and running events)

Athletics (track and field) was one of the two modern sports (together with football) to be formally organized in Kenya. Kenya has regularly produced
Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...
and
Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games or simply the Comm Games, are a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exce ...
champions in various distance events, especially in 800 m, 1,500 m, 3,000 m steeplechase, 5,000 m, 10,000 m and the marathons. Kenyan athletes (particularly Kalenjin) continue to dominate the world of distance running, although competition from
Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
and
Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
has reduced this supremacy. Kenya's best-known athletes included the four-time women's
Boston Marathon The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by several cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was i ...
winner and two-time world champion
Catherine Ndereba Catherine Nyambura Ndereba (born 21 July 1972) is a Kenyan marathon runner. She has twice won the marathon at the World Championships in Athletics and won silver medals at the Summer Olympic Games in 2004 and 2008. She is a ...
, former
Marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...
world record-holder Paul Tergat, and John Ngugi. The question of why Kenyans are so dominant in distance running has given rise to various explanations involving topography, or bone structure, or diet.


Track events

Retired Olympic and Commonwealth Games champion
Kipchoge Keino Kipchoge Hezekiah Keino (born 17 January 1940) is a retired Kenyan track and field athlete. He was the chairman of the Kenyan Olympic Committee (KOC) until 29 September 2017. A two-time Olympic gold medalist, Keino was among the first in a lon ...
helped usher in Kenya's ongoing distance dynasty 1970s and was followed by Commonwealth Champion Henry Rono's string of world record performances. Kenya won several medals during the Beijing Olympics, 6 gold, 4 silver and 4 bronze, making it Africa's most successful Nation in the 2008 Olympics. New athletes gained attention, such as
Pamela Jelimo Pamela Jelimo (born 5 December 1989) is a Kenyan middle-distance runner, specialising in the 800 metres. She won the gold medal in 800 metres at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing at the age of 18. She is the first Kenyan woman to win an Olympic gol ...
, the women's 800m gold medalist who went ahead to win the Golden League jackpot, and Samuel Wanjiru who won the men's marathon.


Field events

Julius Yego Julius Yego (born 4 January 1989) is a Kenyan track and field athlete who competes in the javelin throw. Nicknamed "Mr. YouTube" because he learned how to throw by watching YouTube videos of javelin athletes, Yego is the African record and Com ...
became the first Kenyan field athlete to win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games when he won the
javelin A javelin is a light spear designed primarily to be thrown, historically as a ranged weapon, but today predominantly for sport. The javelin is almost always thrown by hand, unlike the sling, bow, and crossbow, which launch projectiles with th ...
title at the 2014 event in
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
(fellow Kenyan John Makaya had taken a bronze in the same event forty years earlier at the 1974 Commonwealths in
Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...
). The following year he took Kenya's first World Championship gold in the field at the
2015 World Championships in Athletics The 2015 IAAF World Championships ( zh, 第十五届世界田径锦标赛), the fifteenth edition of the IAAF World Championships, were held from 22 to 30 August at the National Stadium in Beijing, China. Forty-three nations won medals, 144 of ...
in
Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
, where he set a new Commonwealth record of 92.72m on his way to victory.


Cross country

Kenyan runners have dominated the
IAAF World Cross Country Championships World Athletics Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Formerly held annually and organised by World Athletics (formerly the IAAF), it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the Int ...
in the past quarter century, maintaining with Ethiopia a stranglehold on the event; from 1986 to 2011, the last year the race was held annually, the Kenyan men's team won 24 world championships, including 18 in a row until Ethiopia won in 2004–05. The junior men's team won 23 titles since 1988, and the women's team has won four straight since 2009. Kenya's junior women have won 15 world championships. Five times – in 1991 (Belgium), 1993 (Spain), 1995 (United Kingdom), 1996 (South Africa) and 2010 (Poland) – Kenya had the champions in the men's and women's senior and junior races. Only three Kenyan men have won individual world cross country titles in the men's division, and two of them won multiple crowns. John Ngugi became the first man to win the world championship five times (1986–89, 1992). Countryman Paul Tergat became the first man to win five times in a row (1995–1999).
Edith Masai Edith is a feminine given name derived from the Old English words ēad, meaning 'riches or blessed', and is in common usage in this form in English, German, many Scandinavian languages and Dutch. Its French form is Édith. Contractions and va ...
won the 4-kilometer women's short race three consecutive times (2003–2004).


Marathons

Runners from Kenya have run seven of the 10 fastest times for 26.2 miles. They have also been among the most consistent winners in the
World Marathon Majors The World Marathon Majors (WMM) (known for sponsorship reasons as the Abbott World Marathon Majors) is a championship-style competition for marathon runners that started in 2006. A points-based competition founded on six major marathon races recog ...
: Boston, New York, London, Berlin, Chicago and Tokyo. An unusual number of marathon winners are Kalenjin.


Boston Marathon

Ibrahim Hussein won the first of his three Boston Marathon victories in 1988, less than a year after winning the New York City Marathon. Hussein would have back-to-back victories at Boston in 1991–92. Kenyan men broke the tape at the Boston Marathon 20 times since 1988, including 10 times in a row from 1991 to 2000. Kenyan women have 10 victories at Boston, four of them by one woman. The notable winners: * Cosmas Ndeti, who won three in a row from 1993–95, running a course record 2:07:15 in 1994; * Moses Tanui, a two-time winner in 1996 and 1998; *
Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot Robert "Mwafrika" Kipkoech Cheruiyot (born 26 September 1978 in Kapsabet, Kenya), sometimes known as Omar Ahmed, is a Kenyan marathon runner and is the former record holder and four-time winner of the Boston Marathon. Early career Cheruiy ...
, whose four victories (2003, 2006–08) make him and Bill Rodgers the race's only four-time winners in the men's division; *
Catherine Ndereba Catherine Nyambura Ndereba (born 21 July 1972) is a Kenyan marathon runner. She has twice won the marathon at the World Championships in Athletics and won silver medals at the Summer Olympic Games in 2004 and 2008. She is a ...
, the only four-time winner in the women's open division; * Geoffrey Mutai, whose 2:03:02 winning time in 2011 is the fastest marathon time ever.
Rita Jeptoo
who won in 2013 before the attack


New York City Marathon

Hussein's win in the New York City Marathon in the fall of 1987 was the first by a runner of African descent in the event. Three years later,
Douglas Wakiihuri Douglas Wakiihuri (born September 26, 1963, in Mombasa) is a former Kenyan long-distance runner, who won the gold medal in the marathon at the 1987 World Championships in Athletics in Rome. No other male Kenyan runner had ever won the marathon at ...
won the race that begins in Staten Island and goes through Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx, ending in Manhattan's Central Park. Kenyan men won the race eight more times, and Kenyan women
six 6 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 6 or six may also refer to: * AD 6, the sixth year of the AD era * 6 BC, the sixth year before the AD era * The month of June Science * Carbon, the element with atomic number 6 * 6 Hebe, an asteroid People ...
in the open division. Among them: * John Kagwe, winner of back-to-back titles (1997–98); * Tegla Loroupe, who won in 1994 and repeated as champion the following year; *
Martin Lel Martin Kiptolo Lel (born 29 October 1978) is a Kenyan professional long distance and marathon runner. He won the London Marathon in 2005, 2007, and 2008, the New York City Marathon in 2003 and 2007 and the Great North Run in 2007 and 2009. His p ...
, whose victories in New York came four years apart (2003, 2007); * Geoffrey Mutai, the fastest marathoner ever, who set a course record (2:05:06) in winning the 2011 race; *
Margaret Okayo Margaret Okayo (born May 30, 1976 in Masaba, Kisii District) is a professional marathon runner from Kenya. She has won a number of major marathons, including the New York City Marathon (two times), the Boston Marathon, and the London Marathon. Sh ...
, whose victories in 2001 and 2003 were course records.


London Marathon

Douglas Wakiihuri won the race in 1989; it would be 15 years before another Kenyan,
Evans Rutto Evans Rutto (born 8 April 1978 in Marakwet District) is a Kenyan long-distance runner, who specialises in road running events. He made the fastest-ever marathon debut by winning the 2003 Chicago Marathon in a time of 2:05:50. He won the London M ...
, won in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. Martin Lel has three victories in the event and set a course record of 2:05:15 in 2008.
Mary Keitany Mary Jepkosgei Keitany (born 18 January 1982) is a Kenyan former professional long distance runner. She is the world record holder in a women-only marathon, having won the 2017 London Marathon in a time of 2:17:01. As of November 2022, she plac ...
won back to back titles in 2011–12.


Chicago Marathon

The Chicago Marathon was first held in 1977. Runners from Kenya have won the men's open division 12 times, including nine in a row from 2003 to 2011. *
Evans Rutto Evans Rutto (born 8 April 1978 in Marakwet District) is a Kenyan long-distance runner, who specialises in road running events. He made the fastest-ever marathon debut by winning the 2003 Chicago Marathon in a time of 2:05:50. He won the London M ...
(2003–04) and the late Samuel Wanjiru (2009–10) repeated as champions during that period. *
Joyce Chepchumba Joyce Chepchumba (born 6 November 1970 in Kericho) is a long distance athlete from Kenya. Achievements *1995 ** Tilburg Ten Miles winner **Parelloop 10Kwinner Arrs.netList of Parelloop winners/ref> *1997 **London Marathon winner *1998 ...
(1998–99) won consecutive titles in the women's open division; Catherine Ndereba won in 2000 and repeated in 2001 with a world women's record (2:18.47).


Berlin Marathon

Kenyan men have won the past three
Berlin Marathon The Berlin Marathon (german: Berlin-Marathon, ) is a marathon event held annually on the streets of Berlin, Germany on the last weekend of September. Held annually since 1974, the event includes multiple races over the marathon distance of , inclu ...
races (as of 2012) and 12 overall, including seven victories in a row from 1999 to 2005.
Patrick Makau Musyoki Patrick Makau Musyoki (born 2 March 1985) is a runner from Kenya. He is a former world record holder in the marathon—His time of 2:03:38, run at the 2011 Berlin Marathon, was the world record for two years, until it was beaten by Wilson Kipsang ...
won in consecutive years in 2010 and 2011, the latter in a world-record time of 2:03:38.


Tokyo Marathon

The newest of the World Marathon Majors, the first
Tokyo Marathon The is an annual marathon sporting event in Tokyo, the capital of Japan. It is a World Athletics Platinum Label marathon and one of the six World Marathon Majors. The latest edition of the race took place on . It is sponsored by Tokyo Metro. H ...
was held in 2007.
Daniel Njenga Daniel Njenga Muturi (born 7 May 1976) is a Kenyan long-distance runner, who specializes in the marathon. He had his first successes in 1995 as he won the steeplechase gold medal at the 1995 Summer Universiade and also the Chiba International ...
won the inaugural race in 2:09:45. Kenyan runners have won the race four times, including the 2013 champion
Dennis Kimetto Dennis Kipruto Kimetto (born 22 January 1984) is a Kenyan long distance runner who competes in road running events. He was the world record holder in the men's marathon with a time of 2 hours 2 minutes 57 seconds, a record which he held until Eli ...
, who set a course record (2:06:50).


Olympic games

Samuel Wanjiru became the first Kenyan to become an Olympic champion in the marathon when he ran an Olympic Games record 2:06:32 to win the gold medal in
Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
in 2008. * Douglas Wakiihuri would win the country's first marathon medal, a silver at the 1988 games in
Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
. Erick Wainaina won two medals, a bronze at the 1996 games in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
and a silver at the 2000 games in
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
. * Catherine Ndereba would win consecutive silver medals in the women's marathon, in
Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
(2004) and Beijing (2008).


Change of nationality

Lately, there has been controversy in Kenyan athletics circles, with the defection of a number of Kenyan athletes to represent other countries, chiefly
Bahrain Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
and
Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
.IAAF
Changes of Allegiance 1998 to 2005
/ref> The Kenyan Ministry of Sports has tried to stop the defections, but they have continued anyway, with
Bernard Lagat Bernard Kipchirchir Lagat (born December 12, 1974) is a Kenyan-American middle and long-distance runner. Lagat was born in Kapsabet, Kenya. Prior to his change of domicile to the US, Lagat had an extensive competitive career representing his ...
the latest, choosing to represent the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. Most of these defections occur because of economic or financial factors however some elite Kenyan runners who cannot qualify for their country's strong national team also find it easier to qualify by running for other countries.


Ball sports


Association football

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
is a popular spectator sport in Kenya. Kenya was a regional power in football, but its dominance has been eroded by wrangles within the
Kenya Football Federation ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...
. This led to a suspension by
FIFA FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...
which was lifted in March, 2007. Football in Kenya is currently controlled by the
Football Kenya Federation The Football Kenya Federation (abbreviated as Football Kenya or FKF) is the governing body of football in Kenya. The FKF organizes the Kenyan Premier League, the Kenyan Women's Premier League, FKF Division One, FKF Women Division One and Keny ...
. Kombii Betty Nanjalah one of the founders of Mathere Youth Sports Association (MYSA) – Kenya, First trip to Norway in 1991, with a group of 16 players who were from the streets of Nairobi. Trained as Football Referee.


Rugby union

Kenya is making a name for itself in
rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
. It is popular in Kenya especially with the annual Safari Sevens tournament. Kenya sevens team ranked 9th in IRB Sevens World Series for the 2006 season. see also: *
Rugby union in Kenya Rugby union in Kenya is a popular sport, in particular due to the success of the Kenya national rugby sevens team in the rugby sevens format, and tournaments such as the Safari Sevens, which has been growing yearly, and now includes numerous ...
* Kenya Rugby Football Union * Kenya national rugby union team * Kenya women's national rugby union team *
Kenya national rugby sevens team The Kenya national rugby sevens team competes in the World Rugby Sevens Series, Rugby World Cup Sevens and the Commonwealth Games. They are currently one of the 15 "core teams" of the World Series, with a guaranteed place in all 10 events each ...
*
Rugby Football Union of East Africa The Rugby Football Union of East Africa (RFUEA) is an umbrella union for the Kenya Rugby Football Union, Tanzania Rugby Football Union and Uganda Rugby Football Union. It owes its existence to the fact that, prior to independence, Kenya, Tanzan ...
*
East Africa rugby union team Established in 1950, The East Africa rugby union team is a multi-national rugby union team drawing players from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, though the vast majority of these came from Kenya which has traditionally been the strongest rugby playin ...
*
Rugby league in Kenya Rugby League in Kenya is a growing spectator and participatory sport. History During the 1990s attempts were made to introduce the sport of rugby league to Kenya. The catalyst for the attempt to introduce rugby league into Kenya came from Eddie ...


Volleyball

Kenya has also been a dominant force in ladies'
volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
within Africa, with Kenyan clubs winning 13
African Championships An African Championship is a top level international sports competition between African athletes or sports teams representing their respective countries or professional sports clubs. List of Championships ;Athletics *African Championships in Ath ...
, and the national team leading the continental championship with 9 titles since 1991. The women's team has also competed at the Olympics and World Championships but without any notable success.


Basketball

Basketball is a popular sport in Kenya, especially among the youth. The country has traditionally been home to several successful players of the US-based
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
, which is widely considered the world's strongest basketball league for College and University students. Notable players there include ''Joel Awich'' (Cal Poly), ''Tylor Ongwae'' (LA-Monroe) and ''Tom Wamukota'' (Wichita State). Yet, the number of Kenyans who play professionally for top teams in Europe and Asia is still low. Kenya's national team had its best years between the mid-80s and the mid-90s when it qualified for the African Basketball Championship several times and even reached the Final Four in
1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...
when Nairobi hosted the event. In January 2021, Liz Mills took over Kenya's men's national team. Led by Mills, Kenya qualified for their first AfroBasket championship in 28 years. At the AfroBasket 2021 qualification, Kenya beat 11-time African champions
Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...
for the first time in history. At th
2021 FIBA AfroBasket
Kenya finished 9th out of 16 teams.


Cricket

Cricket is another popular and the most successful team sport.
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has competed in the
Cricket World Cup The Cricket World Cup (officially known as ICC Men's Cricket World Cup) is the international championship of One Day International (ODI) cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC), e ...
since
1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...
. They upset some of the world's best teams and reached semi-finals of the 2003 tournament. They also won the inaugural World Cricket League Division 1 hosted in Nairobi and participated in the World T20. As of January 2018, their captain is Rakep Patel.


Field Hockey

Field hockey is also played in Kenya. The Kenya men's national field hockey team had its best Hockey World Cup result in
1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events Ja ...
, when it finished fourth. The team also participated in the
Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inau ...
seven times, finishing 6th in 1964. The home venue of the team is the City Park Hockey Stadium in
Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...
. The hockey sport in Kenya is overseen by the Kenya Hockey Union (KHU).


Lacrosse

As of April 2021, Kenya has been one of four African members of the rapidly growing international federation for lacrosse.South African Lacrosse Becomes 69th Member Nation of World Lacrosse
''US Lacrosse Magazine'', 15 April 2021. Accessed 20 April 2021.
For the first time, Kenya will feature a national team at the 2022
Under-19 World Lacrosse Championships The Under-19 World Lacrosse Championships (U-19) are held separately for men and women every four years to award world championships for the under-19 age group in men's lacrosse and women's lacrosse. The tournaments are sanctioned by World Lacrosse ...
.


Baseball

The Baseball Federation of Kenya (BFK)and Kenya Little League (KLL) has been promoting baseball in Kenya since 1992 and 2010 respectively. The sport was flourishing in the 90s before slowing down in the 2000s. Has previously participated in the All Africa Games, Kenko games in Zambia, World children's Baseball fair in Japan (4 times). Recently hosted the World Cup U18 Africa Qualifiers at the Meru university of Science and Technology (MUST)last Dec 15–20, 2014. The sport is popular in Nairobi, Meru, Migori and Makueni. It is played in schools both Primary and Secondary, Colleges and Universities led by MUST. Solomon Gacece has been the long-serving chairman and with George Mahinda as the Secretary General. The Kenya little League was chartered with Little League Baseball in Williamsport, PA, USA in 2010 and has been active in Meru before spreading to Nairobi and Mombasa. Currently about 24 Counties have baseball with Meru County reputing itself as the home of Baseball in Africa. Baseball is picking up in Eastern Africa countries of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Rwanda. The annual East Africa championships held for the first time in Migori and expected again this year. Ready as it rejoins the Olympics in Japan in 2020.


Softball

The Kenya Little League is promoting softball in addition to baseball in areas like Meru, Nairobi and Mombasa with Nairobi being the other softball hotspot. Softball Federation of Kenya is promoting the sport especially at the universities.


Motor sports

Motor sports Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of tw ...
in Kenya are governed by th
Kenya Motor Sport Federation
(KMSF)
KMSF
is affiliated to various world motor sports governing bodies including the
International Motorcycling Federation International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...
(FIM) that governs motorcycle racing, and the Federation of International Automobile (FIA) an association that oversees motoring organizations, motor car users, and organizes
World Rally Championships The World Rally Championship (abbreviated as WRC) is the highest level of global competition in the motorsport discipline of rallying, owned and governed by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, FIA. There are separate championships ...
(WRC).


Rallying

The first professional motor sport in Kenya, the East African Coronation Safari was organized in celebration of
Queen Elizabeth II's coronation The coronation of the British monarch, coronation of Elizabeth II took place on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey in London. She acceded to the throne at the age of 25 upon the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952, being Proclamati ...
on June 2, 1953. The annual rally was renamed the
East African Safari Rally The Safari Rally is a rally held in Kenya. It was first held in 1953 as a celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The event was part of the World Rally Championship from 1973 until 2002, before returning in 2021. It is historically ...
from 1954 to 1975 and the
Safari Rally The Safari Rally is a rally held in Kenya. It was first held in 1953 as a celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The event was part of the World Rally Championship from 1973 until 2002, before returning in 2021. It is historically r ...
from 1975 to date. The 13-stage
Safari Rally The Safari Rally is a rally held in Kenya. It was first held in 1953 as a celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The event was part of the World Rally Championship from 1973 until 2002, before returning in 2021. It is historically r ...
was included in the inaugural FIA organized
World Rally Championships The World Rally Championship (abbreviated as WRC) is the highest level of global competition in the motorsport discipline of rallying, owned and governed by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, FIA. There are separate championships ...
(WRC) as the fourth round of the 13 rounds that comprised the
WRC WRC may refer to: Broadcasting stations * WRC-TV, a television station (virtual channel 4, digital channel 34) licensed to Washington, D.C., United States * Several radio stations in the Washington, D.C. area: ** WTEM, a radio station (980 AM) l ...
rally season in 1973. Ian Duncan is the only Kenyan to ever win a WRC round, the
Safari Rally The Safari Rally is a rally held in Kenya. It was first held in 1953 as a celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The event was part of the World Rally Championship from 1973 until 2002, before returning in 2021. It is historically r ...
in 1994. The African Rally Championship (ARC) is a regional body of FIA and runs an annual rally season with eight rounds in eight countries (
Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...
,
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
,
Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most cent ...
,
Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...
,
Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...
,
Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...
,
Rwanda Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...
, and
Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
) from March to November, except in October. The
Safari Rally The Safari Rally is a rally held in Kenya. It was first held in 1953 as a celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The event was part of the World Rally Championship from 1973 until 2002, before returning in 2021. It is historically r ...
was acknowledged as one of the toughest rallies in the world. The Kenyan legend,
Shekhar Mehta Chandra Shekhar Mehta (20 June 1945 – 12 April 2006) was a Kenyan rally driver. He was born in Uganda and won the Safari Rally a record five times (1973, 1979–82), including four consecutively, and in 1981 finished fifth in the World Rally ...
/
Nissan , trade name, trading as Nissan Motor Corporation and often shortened to Nissan, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The company sells ...
won the ARC inaugural season (1981) while Davis Horsey/
Peugeot Peugeot (, , ) is a French brand of automobiles owned by Stellantis. The family business that preceded the current Peugeot companies was founded in 1810, with a steel foundry that soon started making hand tools and kitchen equipment, and the ...
was the last Kenyan to win ARC in 1984. Locally, the Kenya National Rally Champion is selected from the points accumulated in several KCB sponsored rounds. Ian Duncan is the 2011 KNR Champion.
Patrick Njiru Patrick Njiru (born 12 July 1957) is a former Kenyan rally driver with Subaru World Rally Team from 1983 to 2002. He has retired from competitive racing but often takes part in organizing and competing in charity Charity may refer to: Giving * ...
/David Williamson was the first African driver to win the Kenya National Rally Championship . He raced competitively last in 2002 before retiring from competitive racing. Njiru however continued to organize and participate in charity races. Ian Duncan is the most successful rally drivers in Kenya that continues to feature in various motor races to date. His
Résumé A résumé, sometimes spelled resume (or alternatively resumé), also called a curriculum vitae (CV), is a document created and used by a person to present their background, skills, and accomplishments. Résumés can be used for a variety of re ...
is as follows: 1) The only Kenyan to win a WRC round (the 42nd Trust Bank Safari Rally, 1994), 2) He has won Kenyan Rally Championship six times (1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 2000, and 2011), 3) He won the East African Classic Safari Rally in 2009 (racing in the same race in November, 2011), 4) He has won
Guru Nanak Rally Championship Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan- Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverenti ...
11 times, and 5) He won the Motorsport personality of the year 2010! Prominent Kenyan-born legend drivers at the WRC series:
Joginder Singh Joginder Singh may refer to: * Joginder Singh (soldier) (1921–1962), subedar in the Indian Army ** ''Subedar Joginder Singh'' (film), a 2019 Indian film about him * Joginder Singh (rally driver) (1932–2013), Kenyan rally driver * Joginder Sin ...
(1973–1980),
Shekhar Mehta Chandra Shekhar Mehta (20 June 1945 – 12 April 2006) was a Kenyan rally driver. He was born in Uganda and won the Safari Rally a record five times (1973, 1979–82), including four consecutively, and in 1981 finished fifth in the World Rally ...
(1973–1987),
Patrick Njiru Patrick Njiru (born 12 July 1957) is a former Kenyan rally driver with Subaru World Rally Team from 1983 to 2002. He has retired from competitive racing but often takes part in organizing and competing in charity Charity may refer to: Giving * ...
(1983–1998), and Ian Duncan (1983–1999). Other significant rally drivers in Kenya today:
Carl Tundo Carl "Flash" Tundo (born 11 December 1973 in Nairobi) is a rally driver from Kenya. He is a five times winner of the Safari Rally. In 2009 it was a round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, making Tundo the first and only Kenyan winner of an ...
, Azar Anwar, Lee Rose, Jas Mangat, and Ben Muchemi. Some of the KNRC two-wheel drivers: James Kirimi, Patrick Kibara, Joe Muchiri, Adnan Suhail, and Niaz Bashir.


Motocross

In Kenya, motocross has the largest athlete pool among all motor sports. There are six categories in motocross: MX50, MX65, MX85, MX125, MX2, and the open class, MX1. Some of elite Kenya Motocross riders include Shivam Vinayak, Charles Mugo, Cruze Muigai, Anthony Nielsen, Mohammed Anwar, and Tutu Maina. Shivam is the most decorated motocross rider in Kenya with titles such as the MXI National Champion, FIM Central African Motocross Champion, and the Kenyan Motorcycle Cross-Country Champion. On August 28, 2011 during FIM Africa Motocross Championship in
Harare, Zimbabwe Harare (; formerly Salisbury ) is the capital and most populous city of Zimbabwe. The city proper has an area of 940 km2 (371 mi2) and a population of 2.12 million in the 2012 census and an estimated 3.12 million in its metropolitan ...
, Kenya was represented by three riders (Tutu Maina (MX125), Dekker Kihara (MX50), and Rolf Kihara (MX65) and finished 4th out of the six countries represented. In October 14–16, 2011, Kenya hosted the FIM Africa Cross Country Bike and
Quad Quad as a word or prefix usually means 'four'. It may refer to: Government * Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, a strategic security dialogue between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States * Quadrilateral group, an informal group which inc ...
Team Championships in the sceni
Soysambu Conservancy in Nakuru


Enduros and cross country

Kenya has annual Enduro championships such as National Enduro Championship, JCB/Ganatra Plant and Equipment Cross Country Rally Challenge. Kenya also takes part in the FIM Africa Enduro Championships. Shivam Vinayak is one of the Kenya's most elite Enduro biker who also doubles up in motocross. Enduro championships also attract the four-wheeler quad bikes also known as All Terrain Vehicles (
ATV ATV may refer to: Broadcasting * Amateur television *Analog television Television stations and companies * Ràdio i Televisió d'Andorra * ATV (Armenia) * ATV (Aruba), NBC affiliate * ATV (Australian TV station), Melbourne * ATV (Austria) * AT ...
) with elite riders such as the defending champion Shazar Anwar, Murage Waigwa, Abid Ganatra, and Gurraj Singh. Enduro also welcomes Buggy Racing attracting some experienced rallying drivers such as Ian Duncan and Samir Khan.


Autocross

Both rally cars and buggies compete in
Autocross Autocross (also called "Solo", "Auto-x" or "Autoslalom") is a timed competition in which drivers navigate one at a time through a defined course on either a sealed or an unsealed surface. It is a form of motorsports that emphasizes safe competition ...
in Kenya. The major championship is the National Autocross Championship.
Keith Henrie Keith may refer to: People and fictional characters * Keith (given name), includes a list of people and fictional characters * Keith (surname) * Keith (singer), American singer James Keefer (born 1949) * Baron Keith, a line of Scottish barons i ...
is the 2011 National Autocross champion. Other autocross athletes in Kenya include Charles Mugo,
Samir Khan Samir ibn Zafar Khan (December 25, 1985 – September 30, 2011) was a Saudi Arabian naturalized U.S. citizen, terrorist, and the editor and publisher of ''Inspire'' magazine, an English-language online magazine reported to be published by the Isl ...
, and Rajbir Rai. Rally drivers such as the legend Ben Muchemi and his compatriots Stella Macharia and Onkar Rai often participate in Autocross challenge.


Grand Prix karting

This is the last category of
motor racing Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of two ...
in Kenya. The Kenya
Grand Prix Karting
uses go-karts for leisure races, a 500m race. The Karting organizers welcomes individuals, corporate, and schools to various competitions. Karting in Kenya however mainly focus fun and motor race experience.


Water sports


Swimming and diving

Kenya has achieved great success in swimming considering it is an individual sport.


Canoeing

Competitive Canoe-kayak activities started in Kenya under the Kenya Rowing and Canoe Association, after affiliation to the International Canoe federation (ICF) in 2003 after Seifudin Patwa attended the ICF headquarters in 2003 in Madrid, Spain.


Rowing

Rowing was founded in Kenya during the colonial period with the founding of Mombasa Rowing Club in the 1930s in Liwatoni, Mombasa. This Club functioned as mainly a social club with occasional competitions with visiting Naval ships mainly British Navy, later with Kenya Navy however, the Club and rowing activities closed down in 1991 due to a land dispute with the neighbouring Fishing Company. Interest was again revived in early 1995 with the formation of Kenya Rowing Association, the national Body in charge, founded by Seifudin Patwa and Alisdair Macdonald, which was affiliated to the International Rowing federation (FISA) and National Olympic Committee and rowing activities restarted in the Tudor Creek, Mombasa. Rowing Interest was revived within Kenya Navy while Mombasa Rowing Club relocated to Tudor Creek. In 2000, The Rowing team competed for the first time outside Kenya in the 4th Africa Rowing Championships in Pretoria South Africa with 8 rowers, all from Kenya Navy. In 2003, Canoeing was added as an activity to the national federation which then became Kenya Rowing and Canoe Association having been affiliated to International Canoe Federation(ICF) in the same year. In 2003, Kenya qualified for the first time in the Rowing for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games in Single Scull category through Ibragim Githiga, a Kenya Navy soldier. Although his final result was not very good, it was a good step for the development of rowing in Kenya. Kenya further qualified gain in Single scull category in Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.


Shooting sports


Target shooting

Although Kenya has sent shooters to the Olympic Games since 1956 (with interruptions), the discipline has remained a minority sport. Since the 1970s, Kenya's shooters are now distributed among approximately half African and half Indian. Famous past champions and Olympians are rifle shooter
John Harun Mwau John Harun Mwau (born 24 June 1948) is a Kenyan businessman and politician. He is the former Member of Parliament for Kilome Constituency. He was the first director of the defunct Kenya Anti-Corruption Authority but was removed after a year ...
(now politician) and pistol shooter Shuaib Adam. The first Kenyan female ISSF shooter has now been seen abroad at the Commonwealth Games 2010 and the African Games 2011. The sport suffers from underfunding, lack of clubs, lack of coaches and an outdated firearms law, but has a modern range in Nairobi, and significant grass-roots talent that is not yet properly developed.


Archery

In Kenya archery has been practiced traditionally. It has been used in hunting, war and sports. In 2002 the Kenya association of archers was opened to cater for the growing problem of a platform where archers could compete in international sports. This also came with the formation of the Kenyan team of archers.


Mountain sports

Mountain sport is the newest sport in
Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...
. It is a combined sport-related individual and team challenges including distance running, High Ropes Course,
Mountain Climbing Mountaineering or alpinism, is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport climbing, a ...
and Abseiling, all done in the Jungle. Th
Mt. Kenya School of Adventure and Leadership
(KESAL) held the inaugural Mountain Sports on October 22, 2011. The winners for the inaugural event were Benard Waweru – Men's 21 km Senior Jungle Race while the Senior Women's 21 km was won by the elite road runner Pauline Wangui. Sammy Ndungu won the Sky Marathon and The
Kenya Methodist University The Kenya Methodist University (KeMU) is a chartered private university founded by the Methodist Church in Kenya. It is situated within woodland on the north eastern slopes of Mount Kenya, five kilometers from Meru Town. The development of KeMU ...
(KEMU) won the Extreme Adventure title. See Mountain Sport-Kenya page for more details.


Other individual sports


Boxing


Cycling

The Kenyan-born cyclist
Chris Froome Christopher Clive Froome ɹɪs fɹuːm (born 20 May 1985) is a Kenyan/British Road bicycle racing, road racing cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . He has won seven Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours: four editions of the Tour de ...
emerged in the early 2010s as one of the top road racing cyclists in the world, breaking through with runner-up finishes at the 2011 Vuelta a Espana and
2012 Tour de France The 2012 Tour de France was the 99th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started in the Belgian city of Liège on 30 June and finished on the Champs-Élysées in Paris on 22 July. The Tour consisted of 21 stages, inc ...
before winning a bronze medal in the time trial at the 2012 Olympics and the
2013 Tour de France The 2013 Tour de France was the 100th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started on the island of Corsica on 30 June and finished on the Champs-Élysées in Paris on 21 July. The Tour consisted of twenty-one stage ...
, becoming the first African-born rider to win the race. Froome rode as a Kenyan before switching his nationality to represent the United Kingdom before the
2008 Tour de France The 2008 Tour de France was the 95th running of the race. The event took place from 5 to 27 July. Starting in the French city of Brest, the tour entered Italy on the 15th stage and returned to France during the 16th, heading for Paris, its regu ...
. He took his second Tour win in
2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
and a third the following year, followed by another time trial bronze at the
2016 Olympics ) , nations = 207 (including IOA and EOR teams) , athletes = 11,238 , events = 306 in 28 sports (41 disciplines) , opening = 5 August 2016 , closing = 21 August 2016 , opened_by = Vice President Michel Temer , cauldron = Vanderlei Cordeiro ...
. Froome was mentored by Kenyan professional cyclist David Kinjah in his early years. A Kenyan cycling team, the Kenyan Riders, was founded in 2009 by Singaporean photographer Nicholas Leong after seeing Kenyan runners dominate the
Singapore Marathon The Singapore Marathon is an annual international marathon race which is held on the first Sunday of December in the city of Singapore. It is a World Athletics Gold Label Road Race. History The first competitive marathon in Singapore was held o ...
. In 2016 the Kenyan Riders merged with Pro Team Downunder to form , the first
UCI Continental The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing competitions which were introduced in 2005 by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to expand cycling around the world. The five circuits (representing the continents of Africa, the ...
team to be registered in East Africa. René van Velhuijzen promotes a 1000 km Safari Oriented bicycle tour, thus drawing mountain bikers to Kenya for a life enriching experience
The Kenya Bicycle Safari.


Roller sports

Roller sports, mainly skating in Kenya are governed the Roller Sports Kenya Federation (RSKF). The federation was founded in 1997 and organizes various race categories such as roller speed skating, roller hockey, aggressive skating, and freestyle skating. KSKF is affiliated to the
International Roller Sports Federation International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...
. The federation races/activities mainly take place at Moi International Sports Complex, Kasarani. There are 3 to 4 competitions every annually including the federation held its nationals, held in Bomet, Rift Valley (2011). See also: * FIRS Official Websit


National sports organization

The Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts represents the highest organ in structural organization of sports in Kenya. The minister for sports implements policies on sports development, and debates sports bills in parliament. The commissioner of sports, within the Ministry of Sports acts as the government advisor on sports matters, drawing and evaluating policies, and maintaining standards within the Sport Department. Every district has a representation of government by Government Sports Officers. The Kenya National Sports Council is formed by elected members from all sports in Kenya to ensure equity in development, promotion, and representation of all sports at all major competitions, national and international among other duties. Th
National Olympic Committee of Kenya
(NOCK) prepares Kenyan athletes for the Olympics and works with other sports bodies in developing and promoting sports in the country.


Collegiate sports organization

Kenya Universities Sports Association is the governing body for Colleges and Universities Sports in Kenya.


Scholastic sports organization

Kenya Primary Schools Sports Association (KPSSA) and Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association are the governing bodies for sports in primary schools (class 1 to 8) and secondary schools (form 1 to 4)


Youth sports

The raise of youth sports organizations in Kenya followed the failure physical education in schools. The first youth sport program,
Mathare Youth Sports Association MYSA logo Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA) is a sports development aid organization in Mathare, a collection of slums in Nairobi. In sports it focuses mainly on association football, and furthermore it is active in the field of community b ...
was formed in 1987. Since then, government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and multilateral groups such as the UN, have continued to establish youth sport programs in densely populated urban areas giving the majority of Kenyan children opportunity to participate in sports.Bardgett, M., Bowers, J., Sokoloff, D., & Wells, J. (2009). Playing for the future: An inside look at a social network affecting youth development in Kenya (Capstone Reports 2009). Retrieved August 7, 2010 from George Washington University, Elliott School of International Affairs website: http://elliott.gwu.edu/academics/grad/ids/capstone_reports.cfm


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sport In Kenya