Kenya needs $4.5 mn for CWG team

Nairobi, Nov 1 (IANS) Kenya will need about $4.5 million to send a team of about 300 athletes and officials to the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, from April 4 to 15, 2018.

The Kenyan team's head of mission Barnaba Korir said 15 disciplines will be entered for the games with majority coming in from rugby and athletics.

"We will have number of athletes per discipline by Friday and we know it will be a large number. Kenya and Africa have always embraced these games," Korir said here on Wednesday.

Kenya spent $3.8 million in 2014 with a contingent of 306 athletes and officials to the Glasgow Commonwealth Games where they collected 25 medals -- 10 gold, 10 silver and five bronze.

Most of the medals came from athletics with one bronze from boxing. This was lower compared to the 2010 Delhi Games in India where Kenya won 12 gold, 11 silver and 10 bronze medals.

Korir is confident that Kenya will be represented by a strong team, given the willingness of elite runners to compete.

"In previous years, many top runners have given preference to the Diamond League over the Commonwealth Games. This time though, the Kenyan team to the Commonwealth Games will have elite athletes with the event coming much earlier," said Korir.

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