Inaugural Kenya Beach Games close with hundreds taking part-Xinhua

Inaugural Kenya Beach Games close with hundreds taking part

Source: Xinhua

Editor: huaxia

2023-03-20 19:46:15

NAIROBI, March 20 (Xinhua) -- The 2023 Kenya Beach Games, which featured a wide array of sports, closed on Sunday.

The inaugural event, held in the coastal town of Malindi and organized by Olympics Kenya, attracted over 800 athletes from all over the country.

Highlights included the aquathlon, wrestling and boxing, the dhow racing, a demonstration sport, and the first-ever ITF World Ranking Beach Tennis Tournament.

Kenya was using the event to identify talent or help teams ahead of the Africa Beach Games that will be held in Hammamet, Tunisia, in June.

Among the athletes at the event was the Commonwealth and African sprint champion Ferdinand Omanyala.

"Bringing all these athletes together at a multi-sport event, we haven't seen this before, and I'm thrilled for the future," Omanyala, the African men's 100m champion, told reporters on Sunday evening.

In beach soccer, the team Watamu drubbed Likoni 4-0 to lift the men's title while Moving the Goal Post edged Mombasa Olympic 2-1 to take the women's trophy.

Pwani Wolves and Coast Queens secured the men's and women's beach handball titles.

Besides the sporting activity, the inaugural Kenya Beach Games also showcased the rich culture of the Kenyan coast as well as family entertainment.

Olympics Kenya has earmarked future editions to become a major tourist attraction, with a number of foreigners from Europe and Asia taking part.

"From traditional sports like boxing and judo to unique events like dhow racing and Ajua, there's truly something for everyone at this year's games. We hope this event will help put Kenya on the map as a top destination for beach sports and tourism," Olympic Kenya general secretary Francis Mutuku remarked.