The Kenya men’s rugby Sevens team, Shujaa, qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo following their 31-0 win over Uganda at the finals of the Africa Men’s Sevens in Johannesburg, South Africa on Saturday. The 2019 Africa Men Sevens tournament, an annual rugby tournament is organized by Rugby Africa and doubled up as the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Qualifiers for Africa.

Shujaa joins the Kenya Lionesses, the national women’s sevens rugby side, in the list of teams that have so far qualified for the Olympics, scheduled to take place from 24th July to 9th August 2020. The team, captained by Andrew Amonde, made a stellar display at the tournament, sailing through the group stage unbeaten with a 36-7 win over Ivory Coast, 50-0 over Senegal, before flooring Namibia 33-0 and Uganda 24-7 to emerge at the top of Pool B.

Having narrowly evaded relegation from the World Rugby Sevens Series last season, when it recorded its lowest performance ranking since 1999, the team hopes to put its best foot forward in the coming weeks and at the start of the new sevens circuit in December 2019. To this end, Kenya intends to leverage the experience of newly appointed New Zealander, Paul Feeney, who serves as the national technical director of rugby in the country.

The former Auckland and South African Stormers coach won the 2005 Rugby Sevens World Cup with Fiji and will now head the Kenya Sevens program, in addition to supporting the 15s and the women’s Lionesses teams in areas of skills and defense. Speaking to News Central in Nairobi on the team’s performance in Johannesburg, Paul Feeney said, ‘The goal was to win the tournament and qualify for the Olympics, which we achieved. We have 8 months to prepare for the Olympics and to that end, we need to get on the sevens circuit and put in some good performances. There are a number of areas such as fitness, strength and conditioning we will work on gradually and from each tournament we play, we will find out more about ourselves, the level we are playing at and where we need to be.”

Eliud Kipchoge’s historic marathon time on Saturday was greeted with joy and pride in his native Kenya.

“I am happy today because he has won in Kenya and in the world. I thank him so much for this, for me, for Kenya and the world,” said Kipchoge’s mother Janet Rotich who watched in her home village Kapsisiywa as her son became the first man to run the marathon distance in less than two hours.

Kipchoge’s run in Vienna was broadcast live on all Kenya’s television stations. 

Even so, in Eldoret, the city 40 kilometres from Kapsisiywa where the 34-year-old runner, his wife and three children live, and in Nairobi, crowds gathered in the early morning to watch the run on giant screens.

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In Eldoret, the fans watched in feverish excitement as their champion ticked off the kilometres and exalted when Kipchoge crossed the finish line with a clock displaying 1hr 59 min 40 sec, throwing hats and water bottles into the air.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta quickly issued his “hearty congratulations”. 

“You’ve done it, you’ve made history and made Kenya proud while at it. Your win today, will inspire tens of future generations to dream big and to aspire for greatness. We celebrate you and wish you God’s blessings,”  President Kenyatta continued. 

Kenya’s vice-president William Ruto, who had made the trip to Vienna, sent out a series of tweets.

“A blistering 1.59.40! Congratulations @EliudKipchoge for the historic achievement in shattering the sub-two-hour barrier for the marathon; you are arguably the greatest runner of all time.”

Athletics, along with sevens rugby, is the most successful sport in bringing Kenyans together, regardless of their social or ethnic background. 

In Kapsisiywa, Eliud’s older brother, Wilson Sugut, said the run showed what individuals could achieve.

“He told the world that no human being is limited and that he will overcome this two-hour barrier,” he recalled. “People couldn’t believe it, but now we can believe it.” 

Kenya’s Olympic and world 1500m champion Faith Kipyegon said she was fit and ready to defend her title in Doha after edging Winnie Chebet in the Kenyan trials on Friday.

Kipyegon made a winning return to the track after a two-year maternity break at the Prefontaine Diamond League in June, but a hamstring injury in training interrupted her racing season.

“I thank God I have managed to come back stronger after the long maternity leave, and today I am able to win my race and book a ticket to the world championship,” said Kipyegon, who timed her sprint perfectly to edge the African champion Chebet in the photo-finish.

“I am completely healed from the injury and ready to defend my title in Doha, where I expect to meet strong opposition from Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia and Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands.”

Selah Jepleting finished third in 4:05.26  and will join Kipyegon and Chebet at the world championships.

Fresh from winning the Diamond League 1,500m title, Timothy Cheruiyot controlled his race from the gun at the trials, clocking 3:34.91 ahead of Ronald Kwemoi (3:36.61). World under-18 champion George Manangoi was third in 3:37.68.

“I am gunning to win the world title in Doha to make up for the disappointment of the 2017 World Championships in London where I finished second to my compatriot and training partner Elijah Manangoi,” said Cheruiyot.

Elijah Manangoi did not compete in the Kenyan trials but will run in Doha and defend his title as the fourth Kenyan athlete in the men’s 1,500m.