The 2020 Tokyo Olympics kicks off today after a one-year delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, the Olympic opening ceremony will take place on July 23 and most games will start after this date.

The Olympics take place against a backdrop of increased Covid-19 infections in Tokyo and Japan in general, and many medics including Japanese doctors have called on the games to be postponed.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has, however, held that the games must go on, and unfortunately, some of the tough conditions are that no fans, local or international, will be allowed into the venues.

Kenya has sent a team of 85 athletes to the Tokyo Olympics, most of whom are participating in athletics and rugby sevens, where both men’s and women’s teams will be participating. Check out this link on the official Tokyo Olympics website on the schedule of team Kenya’s participating Olympians.

The first Kenyan team to participate in the Tokyo Olympics will be Kenya’s women volleyball team, who will take on the hosts Japan on Sunday, July 25, in a preliminary round match at 1.40pm East African time. This is definitely a match worth making a date to watch.

Some of the big names that Kenya will be looking at to deliver medals in the Olympics are defending champions in the marathons Eliud Kipchoge and Vivian Cheruiyot, 10,000 metres women Olympic silver medalist Hellen Obiri, men’s javelin star Julius Yego, 1,500 metres runner Asbel Kiprop, among others.

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In addition, the men’s rugby sevens side is in a winnable group with South Africa, USA and Ireland, and qualifying for the gold medal knockout stage will be the bare minimum the team will aim to achieve.

The women’s rugby sevens side faces New Zealand, Great Britain and Russia. It will be a great learning experience for the ladies, and they will be hoping to get at least one victory in this very difficult group.

Kenya’s high achieving indoors female volleyball team is also taking part in the Olympics, and they will be hoping to at least make the quarterfinals from their six team group. For the first time ever, Kenya will be represented in the women’s beach volleyball competition by Gaudencia Makokha and Brackcides Khadambi.

Kenya Television Network (KTN) will be showing the Tokyo Olympics on its free to air channels, so all sports fans in the country will have a chance to watch all the games, as long as they can access a television station.

In addition, Multichoice Kenya will be bringing you the action from Tokyo Olympics on DStv and GOtv in Kenya. Dstv subscribers will have eight channels to watch the Olympics while GOtv subscribers will have four channels.

The Olympic Games are set to be a great event, with thousands of athletes from all over the world competing to win gold and enter history as victorious Olympians.

Despite the many challenges the games have faced, including Covid 19 and fears that the Olympics would never be held, the event is here.

Maudhui.co.ke will bring all the news of Kenya’s Olympians’ performances in the Olympics over the coming three weeks, as we get behind our team and support them as they strive to maintain previous standards and keep the Kenyan flag flying high.

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