Lionesses, Malkia Strikers report Olympics bubble camp

Lionesses, Malkia Strikers report Olympics bubble camp

NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 29 – The national women’s rugby team, Kenya Lionesses and the national women’s volleyball team, Malkia Strikers are the latest teams to join Team Kenya Tokyo 2021 residential camp.

The teams entered into residential training camp this week at the Kenyatta University Conference Centre.

This move comes against the backdrop of the new plan by Olympics Kenya to start residential camp training much earlier with an eye on improved performance by the athletes in Tokyo later in the year.

Due to the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic and the need for the safety and health of all involved, NOC-K, working with the Government, adopted a bubble residential camp training approach. This aligns well with the strict requirements contained in the Olympic Games Playbook, particularly in relation to the management of covid-19 before entry into Japan, while in Japan during the Games, and on exiting after the Games.

As is now the standard practice by Olympics Kenya before athletes and their technical officials settle into the bubble residential camp, all the 28 volleyball team members and 28 rugby team members took the COVID-19 test, whose results have all returned negative, setting the stage for the commencement of 21-day residential camp training for the volleyball queens and 10 days for the rugby ladies.

Three weeks ago, 34 sprints & field event athletes from athletics moved into Kasarani for their residential camp in what was the first bubble camp environment for any Kenyan team.

Their marathon counterparts, eight of who were named to the team by Athletics Kenya, were supported by NOC-K to continue their training at their various camps in Eldoret, Ngong, Kaptagat, Iten and Kapsabet.

24 Kenya Rugby Men’s team players joined the camp in Kasarani on 15th March. The team together with the women’s team will be in camp until they leave for Emirates Invitational 7s in Dubai, which is a buildup tournament in preparation for the Olympics. The tournaments will be played on 2nd and 3rd April and 9th and 10th April.

The taekwondo team of 6 athletes is also resident at Kasarani stadium.

The Boxing National team of 16 players was allowed to continue training at AV fitness gym in Lavington, where they have access to all their training equipment and facilities. The team is currently in Kinshasa, Congo, for the Africa Zone 3 Boxing Championships that are being held between 20th and 26th March 2021.

This will be the first time the team is competing in over a year, and they aim to use it to gauge their match fitness in preparation for the Tokyo Games where four boxers have already qualified.

Original Source Website: : https://www.capitalfm.co.ke/sports/2021/03/29/lionesses-malkia-strikers-report-olympics-bubble-camp/