Kenya women's hockey team awarded IOC scholarship as journey to LA 2028 Olympics begins
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Reading Time: 2min | Wed. 03.12.25. | 21:14
The side is ranked second in Africa, and NOC-K classifies it as the nation's strongest prospect
Kenya women’s national hockey team - Blades- on Wednesday, 3 December received a major boost to their preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games after receiving an International Olympic Committee (IOC) Scholarship from the National Olympics Committee of Kenya (NOC-K).
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In a statement, NOC-K announced that the team had landed a scholarship worth USD 50,000 (Ksh6,462,500), which is set to run from January 2026, all through the entire Olympic cycle that comes to a close in 2028.
©Team Kenya/XThe scholarship, issued under the Olympic solidarity ‘LA 2028 Scholarship” Programme, is designed to support athletes and teams with strong potential to qualify for the 2028 Olympics.
As of December 2025, the Kenya women’s side is ranked 31st in the world, but second in Africa, a position NOC-K believes positions the team as one of the nation’s strongest prospects to make the Games.
Coached by Meshack Senge, Blades took bronze at the recently concluded 2025 Hockey Africa Cup of Nations in Ismailia, Egypt edging Nigeria 1–0 on 18 October.
Speaking after receiving the scholarship, Senge said: “We have grown since Birmingham. We understand where the gaps were, and this support allows us to build a stronger, more competitive unit. It is an opportunity to elevate our standards and push for qualification.”
Kenya, in 2022, made their debut at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, UK, where they finished ninth, but after suffering chastening defeats to New Zealand, Australia and Scotland.
Reflecting on that experience, team skipper Lynne Tamunai said: “I am so happy today. I remember in Birmingham I was the youngest in the team, what it felt like, the pressure and the dream.
Now I am the captain, leading a group of passionate ladies. With this scholarship, I can only imagine what qualifying for LA 2028 could mean for us. The ball is on us now, and we are ready.”
NOC-K, as part of its broader LA 2028 qualification strategy, intends to increase the country’s delegation at the Games from 85 athletes in Paris 2024 to over 100 in America, including at least two qualified team sports.
Three additional sports teams will also benefit from the scholarship in the coming weeks.
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