Kenya Judo Federation ramps up Olympic preparations ahead of 2028 games

Kenya Judo Federation ramps up Olympic preparations ahead of 2028 games

Kenya's Zeddy Cherotich and Portugal's Patricia Sampaio (Blue) compete in the judo women's -78kg round of 32 bout of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Champ-de-Mars Arena, in Paris on August 1, 2024. (Photo by Jack GUEZ / AFP)

The Kenya Judo Federation (KJF) is stepping up its efforts to build a competitive national team in preparation for international qualifications, with the ultimate goal of securing representation at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, USA.

KJF Sports Director Peter Mukaria expressed optimism about the federation’s progress, noting a significant uptick in interest and participation in the sport.

“We’ve witnessed remarkable improvement and an increase in the number of judokas joining the sport. With the support of an International Judo Federation (IJF) coach, Yusuke Utashiro from Japan, we are confident that Kenya will have at least five judokas competing at the 2028 Olympics.” Said Mukaria.

The path to Olympic qualification in judo is rigorous, requiring athletes to compete in events on the World Judo Tour to accumulate ranking points. These events include prestigious competitions such as the African Judo Open Championship, which was recently held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, from April 25–27.

Looking ahead, the 2025 World Judo Championships, scheduled to begin on June 13 at the László Papp Budapest Sports Arena in Hungary, will serve as a critical milestone, offering Olympian Zeddy Cherotich another valuable opportunity to earn points and improve her global standings as she is currently ranked 97th in the world. After Budapest, the Kenyan team will head straight to the African Judo Championships in South Africa, which will run from June 26–29, 2025.

With a renewed focus on international competition and technical support from experienced coaching staff, the Kenya Judo Federation is determined to elevate its presence on the world stage and ensure a strong showing in Los Angeles in 2028.

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2028 Olympics Kenya Judo Federation

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