NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 31 – Kenya Judo Federation boss Shadrack Maluki has been appointed by the National Olympics Committee of Kenya (NOCK) as Kenya’s Chief de Mission for the Paris 2024 Games.
Maluki was officially named on Monday evening as NOCK named its management team early enough to give room for early preparation.
Tennis Kenya Secretary General Wanjiru Karani has been named as the Chief Executive Officer while Athletics Kenya Deputy Treasurer Dimmy Kisalu has been named as the General Team Manager.
“This is a position you should all hold with great responsibility. We look forward to working with integrity and principles of governance. To ensure we deliver one of the best organized and managed teams. We had a meeting this morning with the previous management and the new team and we can confidently say, the ship has disembarked,” NOCK boss Paul Tergat said as the team was launched.
Maluki is looking forward to champion a massive performance by the Kenyan team, and he believes they have the ability to rake up more medals than they did in the 2020 Games in Tokyo, Japan.
The team was presented to Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba.
The Cabinet Secretary applauded NOC-K for constituting the management team 18 months in advance adding this is the direction National Sports bodies and federations should follow.
“Kenya’s road to Paris 2024 has hit the superhighway and I want to thank Tergat and his team for accelerating the preparations for the games,” said Namwamba.
Karani, who has been at the helm of the recent revolution of tennis in Kenya and has been key in Angela Okutoyi’s growth has meanwhile promised to ensure the team is served in the best possible way, promising openness and accountability.
“My working philosophy is founded on the Values of sport- Fair Play, Respect, Friendship, courage and equity. My role is key in leading the secretariat and the Games Management in ensuring the dreams of our athletes are actualized. We are the backbone of good performance at the Games. Performance starts at preparation,” she said.
Kisalu meanwhile has vast experience in team management, having been team Manager to the Africa Games in Maputo 2011, Congo 2015 and Morocco 2019. He was also the World Cross Country Team Manager Japan 2003 and 2006.
“I am humbled and excited to be appointed at the GTM. I will work with all team managers to ensure we are aligned and ready to support our athletes’ dreams of being Olympians.” He spoke.
At the same time, former Mwamba RFC doctor James Odenge has been named as the Chief Medical Officer. He does the same job at the Kenya Rugby Union.
Ondiege is a member of the Rugby Africa Player Welfare Steering Committee and was also the Medical Officer for Team Kenya at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
He was also the Chief Medical Officer (Local) Africa Deaflympics Ball Games Qualifiers Men & Women, Nairobi, 2021 and a member of the Ministry of Sports Committee on Return to Play in sports during COVID in 2020.
