NOCK to Establish High Performance Training Centre to Boost Elite Athletes and Increase Women Coaches

The National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) has announced plans to establish a high-performance training centre at Kenyatta University, a move aimed at strengthening athlete preparation and modernising coaching systems across the country.

The facility will serve as a hub for elite athlete development, coach education and the integration of sports science and technology into training programmes.

NOCK Secretary General John Ogola said the Olympic umbrella body will partner with Kenyatta University in setting up the centre, leveraging the institution’s infrastructure and academic environment.

“Kenyatta University will offer space while NOCK will develop the facility and equip it with equipment and technical personnel,” Ogola said during the launch of the high-performance training programme for technical directors and coaches at Sports View Hotel.

He noted that the collaboration will allow NOCK to create a world-class environment that supports both athletes and coaches, while also fostering research and innovation in sports performance.

According to Ogola, the high-performance centre will play a key role in improving the quality of training for Kenyan athletes while also building the capacity of local coaches.

Ogola said the centre will be used to train athletes and improve the capacity of coaches, adding that NOCK has already rolled out a programme aimed at equipping coaches with modern skills.

“We want to empower our coaches by educating them on the use of science and technology in their training programs,” he said.

He emphasised that the era of relying solely on raw talent is fading, with modern sport demanding a more scientific approach.

“The days of relying on talent are over and it's now science and technology that has taken centre stage in the preparations of athletes and competitions,” he said.

John Ogola further revealed that NOCK plans to establish a comprehensive database of coaches and technical officials. The database will be used for monitoring, evaluation and long-term planning.

The initiative is expected to help identify skill gaps, track performance trends, and ensure accountability within the technical ranks of Kenyan sport.

On his part, NOCK First Vice President Barnaba Korir said the initiative aligns with the organisation’s manifesto and long-term vision.

“Our pre-election pledge was to have a new dawn by embracing new ways of managing athletes and the technical wing of sports,” he said.

Korir noted that while Kenya has traditionally dominated in several sporting disciplines, rival nations are rapidly closing the gap.

Korir warned that continued success will depend on adapting to modern methods of athlete preparation.

He said other countries that Kenya was beating in sports were catching up with the country, and hence the need to change tactics by moving away from the manual ways of preparing teams to science and technology.

He added that NOCK will assess the impact of the current training programme by evaluating coaches’ performance during upcoming major competitions.

He said after this training, NOCK will gauge the coach's performance during the forthcoming Commonwealth Games and Youth Olympics.

Korir also made it clear that the committee’s focus goes beyond immediate competitions. He added that they are looking beyond the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

NOCK athletes’ representative Doreen Okidi used the forum to highlight the persistent gender imbalance in coaching.

Okidi said the number of women coaches in Kenya falls short of the projection by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of having at least 30 per cent compared to 17 per cent currently in practice.

She expressed optimism that initiatives such as the high-performance training programme would help address the disparity.

“With this kind of initiative, I am optimistic that the number of women coaches will increase,” she said.

The planned high-performance training centre is expected to mark a significant step in Kenya’s transition towards a more structured, scientific and inclusive sports development system, positioning the country for sustained success on the global stage.