This archive report was first published on 23 August 2019.
On August 23, 2019, President Uhuru Kenyatta flagged off the Kenya National Motocross Team at State House Nairobi, marking the beginning of their journey to the Motocross of African Nations Continental Championship in Harare, Zimbabwe.
The President emphasized that the government will support all sports disciplines, ensuring that no sport is left out of the sponsorship programme for national teams competing in international competitions.
“Every single sports association in Kenya will be supported by the government. If we have talent outside there, it is our responsibility to nurture and grow it,” the President said.
Kenya will be represented by a team of 25 riders at the competition, which begins on August 30.
President Kenyatta also announced plans to redevelop the Kasarani International Sports Complex to accommodate various sporting disciplines, including motocross.
“As a government, we want to create facilities that nurture the talents that we have in all the different sports disciplines. So at Kasarani, just as much as we have developed the closed stage for Safari Rally, just as much as we are developing our football stadium, athletics, basketball and netball, we will also set aside an area for motocross,” the President announced.
He dismissed the notion that some sports disciplines like motocross are elitist, urging parents to support their children in pursuing their dream careers and developing their talents instead of forcing them to pursue fields that they are not interested in.
“Ours, as parents, is to try and get the best of what our children can be and do everything that we can to encourage them,” he said.
