NAIROBI, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Kenya hopes the diversification beyond track and field events will help bridge the gap in medal haul at major championships like Commonwealth Games and the Olympics.
Paul Tergat, the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (Nock) president, believes that with proper preparations and support, rugby sevens and boxing will soon add the number of medals and disciplines the country can look forward to winning medals from.
This comes just a day before Kenya Sevens rugby team parades in Gold Coast, Australia for the Commonwealth Games.
"The talent is there and the experience and commitment have been shown by the players. We must help them bridge the gap and go a step up to the medals podium," Tergat said on Friday.
"Overreliance on athletics is not ideal, but we will also strengthen their structures to get the best out of track and field," he added.
At Glasgow in 2014, golds were won at every distance from 800m to 10,000m and in the men's 3,000m steeplechase, only Kenyan athletes have claimed medals since 1994.
Never, though, has the African nation won gold in a team event away from the track - but that could be about to change as Kenya Sevens team launch their Club Games campaign in Pool C on Saturday against Canada, New Zealand and Zambia in Gold Coast.
Kenya team, as known as Shujaa, have ever been present since the introduction of men's rugby sevens at the 1998 games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
For over 20 years now Kenya has focused on the seven-a-side game at the expense of the 15-a-side format. Many critics laughed over the decision taken by Kenya but over the years it's reaped rewards.
The Commonwealth Games is a further opportunity for Shujaa to establish themselves as one of the world's top teams and maybe make a piece of national history in the process.
"We took that decision and it has paid off," said Kenya Rugby president Richard Omwela. "We are now able to beat some of the big boys on the global leagues."
Kenya has never finished higher than seventh at the Commonwealth Games, but Head Coach Innocent Simiyu, who played in the 2006 Games in Melbourne, is hopeful, with their top form enjoyed in the last two legs in the World Series, where they finished second to Fiji, Shujaa will finally land a medal in Gold Coast.
