This archive report was first published on 6 July 2021.
Published on July 6, 2021, Team Kenya's first batch of athletes left the country for the Tokyo Olympics, marking a significant milestone in the country's Olympic journey.
Team Kenya's chef de mission, Waithaka Kioni, and chief executive officer, Wangui Kibe, were among those who flew out of the country at 6 pm alongside athletes' representative, Humphrey Kayange, and Covid-19 liaison officer, Susan Adhiambo.
According to Kioni, the Games' organisers advised teams to arrive in small groups to ease Covid-19 protocols and testing.
'The organisers have advised teams to arrive in small groups so as to avoid the risk of the whole team getting quarantined in case of Covid-19 cases,' said Kioni.
The national women's volleyball team, Malkia Strikers, will be the second batch to leave on Thursday, followed by Kenya Sevens and Kenya Lionesses sevens rugby teams on Sunday.
Sprinters will leave on July 13 to join the pre-Olympics training base in Kurume City, while the next group of athletics teams will depart on July 23, and the marathon teams will leave the country on August 1.
