Championships to forget: Host Kenya bow out of taekwondo tourney with no single medal

The World U-21 Taekwondo Championships concluded on November 6 at the Kasarani Indoor Arena, with hosts Kenya finishing the global tournament without winning a single medal on home soil. Kenyan coaches and athletes have since attributed the outcome to a combination of late preparations, limited international exposure, and inadequate training equipment.

Despite the disappointing medal outcome, head coach Kalele Kahindi maintained that the team put up a commendable fight.

“We played well. We did not suffer any knockouts, not even one. Most of our losses came through point gaps,” he explained.

Coach Kahindi revealed that one of the major setbacks was late entry into the residential training camp, which lasted less than 14 days before the championships began. He also noted that several athletes were unfamiliar with some of the modern scoring equipment and protective gears, putting them at a disadvantage against seasoned international opponents.

Additionally, most Kenyan athletes lacked international exposure, unlike their competitors who had previously featured in major global championships. Kahindi further pointed out that most local coaches are better suited to training junior categories, making it slightly challenging to fully prepare athletes in the U-21 bracket.

The coach now wants government and partners to support the sport and their athletes through enhanced funding, exposure opportunities, and provision of standard training equipment to assist in long-term athlete development.

Speaking after his bout in the -87kg middleweight category, Kenyan athlete Frank Thomas acknowledged the lessons drawn from the tournament despite the losses.

 “Everybody learned something new. It was a good experience even though we lost. A major setback was starting training late, and one of our coaches joined us two weeks into the tournament,” he said.

“My plea is for the federation to facilitate early training preparations.”

Meanwhile, Bridget Lucy, who competed in the 46kg category on her world championship debut, embraced the experience positively, saying it had motivated her to train harder.

With the championship now behind them, the national taekwondo squad has shifted focus to earning ranking points that will strengthen Kenya’s quest for qualification to the Olympic Games.