PuraVida Sports

BY GEOFFREY ANENE

With the road to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games already taking shape, financial support has emerged as a critical lifeline for Kenya’s Olympic hopefuls. 

At the centre of this journey is the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK), working hand-in-hand with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Olympic Solidarity Programme to ensure that athletes and teams with genuine qualification prospects are not left behind.

While awarding scholarship to the national women’s volleyball team, Malkia Strikers, on January 20, 2026, NOCK Secretary General John Ogola underscored the purpose and impact of the programme.

“As you can see, today we are awarding a scholarship to Malkia Strikers,” Ogola said. “These scholarships are basically from Olympic Solidarity. Every Olympic cycle, they award scholarships to athletes or teams who have better chances of making it to the Games.”

Ogola explained that the main objective of Olympic Solidarity scholarships is to widen participation at the Games by easing the financial burden that often blocks talented athletes from qualifying. 

“What usually happens is people make applications, then their chances of making it to the Games are evaluated. Those selected are supported financially over a period of four years, just to ensure that they make it to participate in the Games,” he noted.

Kenya has been a major beneficiary in the current cycle. According to Ogola, eight individual athletes have so far received scholarships across several disciplines. 

“Shooting has got one scholarship [Priscilla Mburu]. Swimming has got two scholarships (Sara Mose and Haniel Kudwoli). Weightlifting has also got two (Joshua Amunga and Juliana Ongonga). We’ve got one for tennis (Angella Okutoyi) and wrestling (Mahabila Mathayo),” he explained. 

Fencer Alexandria Ndolo also got scholarship. Team sports have also featured prominently, with women’s hockey, men and women’s rugby sevens, and women’s volleyball team, Malkia Strikers, all benefiting.

The funding, Ogola stressed, is not issued as a lump sum. “This scholarship does not come in one amount. It is spread over a period of four years,” he explained. 

“For team sports like volleyball, this is about Sh6.4 million ($50,000) spread across the cycle. For individual athletes, it’s about Sh1.28m ($10,000) per athlete.”

The money is carefully channeled to areas of greatest need. 

“Part of it should go to training, part of it should go to supporting the qualifiers,” Ogola noted. “That’s where the biggest challenge is. Some athletes qualify through points, others through tournaments, and sometimes there are too many competitions for the government to support all of them.”

On the selection process of the Olympic hopefuls, Ogola was clear that NOCK does not hand-pick beneficiaries.

“We don’t do the selection here. We send a notice to federations, they fill forms, and we forward them to Olympic Solidarity. The decision is made at that level, based on performance, rankings and chances of making it to the Games,” he explained.

In weightlifting, two scholarships have gone to Joshua Amunga and Juliana Ongonga. 

“Amunga is ranked number four in Africa in his category, and Ongonga is number nine,” Ogola said. “We believe that with good training and this kind of support, they can move into the top three and qualify. We hope weightlifting will go back to the Olympics, as it did in 2012 and 2016.”

For Amunga, the support is both practical and deeply motivating. “It felt truly encouraging and motivating to be selected,” he said. “Receiving this scholarship reassured me that my journey as an athlete is being recognized and supported, which gives me great confidence and renewed determination.”

The weightlifter added that the timing could not be better. “It will help reduce financial pressure and allow me to focus more on my training, competitions, and overall development. It has come at a crucial time in my preparation,” he said, noting that this is the first time he has received such a scholarship. 

Amunga’s weight class is under 60 kilogrammes. His last competition was he got his best lift at the 2025 IWF World championships in Førde, Norway, where he managed to lift snatch 110 kilogrammes and clean and jerk 131kg for a total of 241kg. 

Swimming has also emerged as a key beneficiary. 

Kenya Aquatics Secretary General Collins Marigiri highlighted the progress of USA-based teenagers Sara Mose and Haniel Kudwoli. 

“They have made steady progress over the last three years, from Nationals to Africa Juniors in Mauritius, the Africa Games, and the Africa Aquatics Championships in Angola,” Marigiri noted.

He added that both swimmers have improved their times significantly and are climbing the rankings. 

“They received scholarships to study, train and compete in the USA due to their outstanding performance. The Olympic Solidarity scholarship through NOCK will boost their preparation programme to LA 2028.”

Team sports echo the same sentiment. Kenya women’s hockey player Grace Bwire says the financial backing has been transformative. 

“This support allows for enhanced training, improved equipment, and participation in vital competitions,” she said. “This is the second time we’ve received funding for Olympic qualifiers. In 2023 we got Sh3 million, and this time we received $50,000 (Sh6.5 million).”

As Kenya plots its course to LA 2028, the message is clear: while the funds may never be enough in an expensive sporting world, targeted support through NOCK and Olympic Solidarity is giving athletes a fighting chance to turn Olympic dreams into reality.