Kenya Armature Wrestling Association {KAWA} has sent four athletes to the World Olympics Wrestling qualifiers in Istanbul, Turkey, games that are scheduled for 10th-13th May this year to battle it out against 700 other wrestlers across the globe for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics games ticket in June.
Speaking in Nairobi’s city center at the KAWA offices, Association Secretary General (SG) Erick Walucho and chairperson Anthony Kariuki were optimistic that Emma Wangila, Joel Tukai, Davis Ochieng and Mathayo Mahabila will all qualify for the summer games in France.
“ I believe that coach James Oriri has prepared them well and we have confidence that at least two of them will make it to the podium which is an automatic qualification to the Olympics,” said Walucho who also added that all the Kenyan athletes will be up for the freestyle wrestling style while in Turkey.
African 2023 beach games bronze medalist Emma Wangila (50 kgs) from Trans Nzoia County was given a bye on Thursday and will commence her bout on Friday against the winner between Viyaleta Rebikava from Khazakhstan and Lithuanian Gabija Dilyte who according to schedule will battle each other on Thursday night.
The Kenyans will rest on Saturday in readiness for a hectic Sunday fixture that will have Homabay County’s Davis Ochieng (65kgs) take on Anthony Wesley from Cape Verde as 2023 Africa beach games bronze medalist Mathayo Mahabila ( 74 kgs) will be up against Avtandil Kentchadze from Georgia, both round of 16 bouts.
Heavy weight Joel Tukai ( 125 kgs) from Bungoma County will start at the knock out qualification level against Johannes Ludescher from Austria, a must win bout for the Kenyan who is yearning a spot in the round of 16 as he chases his Olympics dream.
KAWA is now hopeful that Emma Wangila will win on Friday and make it to the quarter finals, a step away from the podium top three finish position if she wins her way to the semis and finishes in the first three positions that are a direct ticket to the summer Olympic Games.
According to United World Wrestling ( UWW) the first top three wrestlers will have direct ticket to Paris while the others will have to wait for the rankings during a seeding process after the qualification process has been finalized and the top athletes will be ranked according to the highest number of points accumulated from the world wrestling ranking series.
Photo: Africa 2023 beach games bronze medalist Mathayo Mahabila during last year’s beach games in Tunisia
2 comments
I believe that it’s our time as kenyans to show the world what we are made of,I am praying for our team God bless team wrestling, God bless kenya.
Forever team kenya