Kenya rugby needs Sh159m to prep for Tokyo Olympics

 

Kenya Rugby Union requires Sh159 million to prepare the national men’s and women’s teams, Shujaa and Lionesses, for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

The Union’s treasurer Joshua Aroni disclosed on Thursday that they forwarded the budget to the Ministry of Sports in November. The funds will go towards the two teams’ high performance training camps in Spain, Dubai and Paris.

The two teams that are due to be named on Friday, will leave the country on February 17 for Spain where they will train for a week before moving to Dubai for another week of training.

They are due back in the country on March 1 before the last camp that is set for May in Paris.

“We don’t have sponsors and that is why we are banking on the government to rescue us,” said Aroni.

Aroni was speaking during a sponsorship function where the union received a cheque of Sh2.8 million from the National Olympic Committee of Kenya secretary general Francis Mutuku at the sports body’s new offices at Gallant House, Parklands, Nairobi.

"What NOC-K is doing is important and I wish the government would release some funds for us now and not later since funds that are received late doesn’t help much,” said Aroni, who was accompanied by KRU acting chief executive officer Thomas Odundo.