This archive report was first published on 13 July 2021.
July 13, 2021 - Kurume, Japan - Kenya Sevens head coach Innocent 'Namcos' Simiyu has expressed optimism about the team's chances in the upcoming tournament, citing the favorable humidity in Kurume City, Japan.
Simiyu made the remarks after the team's first training session at the Fukuoka Prefecture Kurume Sports Center, where they were exposed to temperatures of 33°C and a humidity of 57 percent.
The team, led by skipper Andrew Amonde, is grateful to the government and Olympics Kenya for allowing them to pitch camp in Kurume and has given the facility a thumbs up.
"Of course, the first session you will expect guys to be rusty because of the traveling, humidity, and adjusting to the conditions here," Simiyu said. "There are a lot of housekeeping stuff that we need to do outside the pitch to ensure that we build on to during training ahead of the competition, but we are happy that we are out and we have started our performance," he added.
The Shujaa will face South Africa on the same day before clashing with Ireland in Pool C on July 27. Simiyu is confident that the team has enough time to prepare and is focusing on their game plan.
"It's a tough pool, but at the Olympics, all pools are difficult," Simiyu said. "You don't expect any easy game if you look at the last Olympics. Japan played some good rugby and managed to beat New Zealand and get to the semis, so we will be very keen on how we start and hopefully we will see who will come out of the pool," he added.
Simiyu called on Kenyans to continue supporting the team and promised to work hard in return and make the country proud.
