Paris Olympics: Kenya Sevens head coach analyses Shujaa's pool opponents

Kenya Sevens head coach Kevin ‘Bling’ Wambua has expressed confidence in his charges’ abilities ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics slated for July 26 to August 11.

The Kenya national rugby men's sevens team will be looking to improve on their ninth position during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. They were the first batch of Team Kenya athletes to leave for the Olympics on Monday. The team will camp in Miramas, France ahead of their games.

Speaking during their departure, Bling noted that they anticipate tough competition from their opponents. Shujaa have been placed in Pool B together with second-seeded Argentina who performed incredibly well in the HSBC SVNS, Australia, and Samoa.

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"Pressure and nerves will always be there but we want to take them with hands and feet and see if we can get the best out of it," Wambua said.

Despite that, he was confident that the team’s recent return to the HSBC SVNS would serve as a morale-booster. Shujaa defeated Germany 33-15 to return to the World Series in June.

Wambua also stems confidence from their win over Samoa during the Madrid qualifier. Argentina and Australia will be the new faces in the pool.

"Argentina is strong by virtue of winning the world series (2023) last season but we have assessed them technically. We beat Samoa during the Madrid qualifier for the series. Australia have been up and down in the season but they know how to play at the Olympics," Wambua said.

The team has been undergoing intense training at the Kasarani Stadium for the past month and will be keen to use the skills gained to propel them to success.

"It has been hard work on-and-off the pitch in terms of conditioning, game understanding and making sure we sharpen our skills," he said.

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But first things first. They will have to reach the quarterfinal stage before attempting to go for the medal.

At the same time, Wambua has trusted co-captains Vincent Onyala and Herman Humwa to guide the team in Paris.

"I want them to instil belief in the team and show them that it is just how we manage and handle ourselves; our attitude when we step on the pitch is what will determine our fate," he offered.

On his side, the captain noted that they were keen to fight tooth and nail to emerge victorious, starting with their set pieces.

"But to be there we must be tight on our defence and attack. We believe in the process and we shall work for each other," Onyala said.

Close to 10,500 athletes representing 205 nations are expected in Paris where they will compete in 32 sporting disciplines featuring 329 events.

Kenya will be represented in six sports; athletics, rugby sevens, judo, fencing, volleyball and swimming.