By KPC Sports Correspondent
The Road to Santiago campaign for the 2027 World Special Olympics Games kicked off in Nairobi with regional trials held at Wood Creek International School.
The trials brought together about 200 athletes from six teams who competed in five disciplines — football, basketball, athletics, bocce and standing jump — as Special Olympics Kenya began the search for athletes who will represent the country at the global event.
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Special Olympics Kenya Sports Manager Vincent Mungai said regional trials would be held in other parts of the country before the athletes converge in Nairobi for the national championships scheduled for November 26 to 28, 2027.
Mungai said the national championships will be used to select 78 athletes and 23 coaches for the World Special Olympics Games, which will be held in Santiago, Chile, from October 16 to 24, 2027.
“We are hoping from the selection, we are going to pick a good team that will even surpass the medal tally in Berlin 2023,” said Mungai.
At the previous World Special Olympics Games in Berlin, Germany, Kenya sent 66 athletes and 22 coaches. The Kenyan team returned with 15 gold medals, five silver medals and five bronze medals.
The Nairobi trials also produced individual moments of brilliance, with Eric Mutembei scoring twice as Kenyatta University defeated the University of Nairobi 2-0 in a football encounter.
Paul Hinga was instrumental in the victory, standing tall between the posts as Kenyatta University kept a clean sheet.
The regional trials form part of Kenya’s preparations for Santiago, with Special Olympics Kenya seeking to identify and prepare athletes who will compete on the international stage.
