Last Friday Evening, the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Sports, and the Arts hosted the Kenya Rugby 7s team for a dinner at the Pride Hotel ahead of their departure on Sunday for the HSBC 7s World Series in Los Angeles, USA, and Vancouver, Canada. The team will be participating in the tournament from 25th to 26th February and 3rd to 5th March 2023, respectively.
The ministry was well represented by senior officials led by Permanent Secretary of the State Department of Youth Affairs and Sports, Jonathan Mueke. Mueke assured the team of full government support through the ministry.
“Our commitment as the government is to engage other partners in the private sector so that we can bring back sponsors into rugby and support our national teams and clubs,” said Mueke.
He added, “The chairman paid me a courtesy call a few days ago and explained to me how the two legs are very important for the rankings and later invited me. So when you are playing in Los Angeles, just know I will be somewhere in the stands.”
On his part, the Kenya Rugby Union Chairman, Oduor Gangla, thanked the ministry and the official sponsor Sportpesa for supporting them during the difficult financial times.
“The last two years have been tough on our teams due to the pandemic, but we are grateful for the ministry’s support, which has been instrumental in ensuring that our teams participate in international tournaments,” said Gangla.
He further added, “We are also grateful to Sportpesa for sticking with us during the tough times, and we hope that other sponsors will follow their lead and support Kenyan rugby.”
The team is set to depart on Sunday for Los Angeles, and they are optimistic about their chances in the upcoming tournament. The support from the government and private sector partners will go a long way in ensuring that the team performs well in the tournament and continues to make the country proud.
Kelly Ayodi
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