NAIROBI, March 9 (Xinhua) -- The inaugural Kenya National Beach Games, which is expected to attract over 500 athletes, will be held in the coastal town of Malindi from March 17 to 19, organizers announced on Thursday.
Organized by the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK), the Games aim to develop a sustainable sporting culture and promote the Olympic Movement in the country.
The games will feature 15 beach events: aquathlon, basketball 3x3, judo, boxing, wrestling, taekwondo, beach handball, beach soccer, beach tennis, beach volleyball 4x4, coastal rowing, freestyle football, karate kata, kiteboarding, and open-water swimming.
The games will also act as a warmup for the Kenyans for the 2023 Africa Beach Games, which will be held in Hammamet, Tunisia in June, and the World Beach Games, which will take place in August in Bali, Indonesia.
"The excitement of Beach Games is its ability to combine the informality and vibrancy of the beach to create a youth-centric beach, water, and action sports festival," NOCK said in a statement, adding that they would seek to use the Games to promote environmental awareness and sustainability through the utilization of existing beach-friendly infrastructure, minimizing the environmental impact.
Traditional sports by local communities will include Ajua, Kerum, dhow racing and fishing. ■