Wednesday, 16 July marks 9 days until the start of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, which will be held in Paris, France, from 26 July (opening ceremony) to 11 August.
DStv is your ultimate destination for the Olympic Games, while DStv Stream allows viewers to watch their favourite sport live anywhere, any time. Upgrade to DStv Premium to enjoy the best sport in the world.
Kenya, Africa's top nation when it comes to all-time Olympic Games medals, has declared that it will send a "clean" team to Paris 2024 – that's according to Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) head of research Martin Yahuma. Kenya is in the ‘Category A’ list of countries with the highest risk of doping, according to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Yahuma divulged that an ADAK record 4,135 athletes have been tested for doping in the past year and stated: “The team we are going to send to Paris will be clean”. He added, “Besides testing, we have conducted education for all athletes and their entourage. Testing is still ongoing. The IOC will also conduct testing in competition.
"We are determined to uphold the image of the country. Besides all the mandatory tests, they have also gone through more tests in competition and out of competition.” Kenyan women’s volleyball, men’s rugby sevens, judo and women’s fencing will also compete in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
“The other disciplines must undergo two mandatory out-of-competition tests according to the IOC. But this does not mean we are not testing them vigorously,” Yahuma explained.
ADAK was established in 2016 to help stem the runaway doping crisis in the sport, which has seen Kenya placed as a Category 'A' nation since 2017.
Elsewhere, Seiko Hashimoto, who was president of the Tokyo Olympics organising committee, believes that Paris will remind people of the value of hosting the Olympics – compared to the Tokyo 2020 Games, which were delayed by a year because of Covid-19 and tainted by corruption.
Hashimoto hopes Paris can showcase sport at its best this month and make people in the French capital happy that their city is hosting the event: “I hope every single person will understand the value and importance of hosting the Olympics in their own country," said Hashimoto, a seven-time Olympian.
"If this serves as an opportunity for people to think about what the Olympics and Paralympics mean to them, it will be something that benefits future generations."
Hashimoto admitted that many people in Japan questioned why the country went ahead with the event during the pandemic. She maintains that organisers did a good job in difficult circumstances, saying they were able to host the Games "with almost no infections”. But she admits she has regrets over lost opportunities due to the pandemic, which robbed Tokyo of its chance to shine fully on the global stage.
"From the preparation stage, Tokyo had received very high reviews," she said. "There were such high hopes, much more than other cities and countries. There were so many things that we wanted to do but couldn't. That's a regret that I have.”
DStv is your ultimate destination for the Olympic Games, while DStv Stream allows viewers to watch their favourite sport live anywhere, any time. Upgrade to DStv Premium to enjoy the fastest sport in the world. Visit www.dstv.com to subscribe or upgrade and join in on the excitement.