NOCK settles on Omanyala, Atuka as Team Kenya Olympics flag bearers

By Peter Ochieng

The National Olympics Committee of Kenya (NOCK) has settled on Ferdinand Omanyala and Trizer Atuka as the country’s flag bearers during the Paris Olympics Games opening ceremony in France on Friday this week.

The Games start on June 26, before curtains come down on 11th August, 2024.

“Following a proposal by the NOC-K Athletes Commission, the NOC-K executive board has confirmed Trizah Atuka and Ferdinand Omanyala as Team Kenya flag bearers at the Paris Olympic Games opening ceremony,” NOCK declared.

Omanyala is Africa’s 100m champion, making him the fastest man in the continent while Atuka is the Kenya National Women Volleyball team, Malkia Strikers captain Trizah.

Atuka, 32, makes her Olympic debut after missing the delayed 2020 Tokyo Games through an injury, while Omanyala will be making his second Olympics appearance.

Former Kenya Sevens rugby team captain Andrew Amonde and his Malkia Strikers' counterpart Mercy Moim, carried the Kenyan flag during the Tokyo Olympic Games, held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron says his country is ready to host the Paris Olympics as he visited the Athletes' Village on Monday, four days before the Games begin.

"We are ready and we will be ready throughout the Games. We have been working on these Games for years now and we are at the start of a decisive week which on Friday will see the opening ceremony and then the Olympiad which will be held in Paris, 100 years since the last one," he said.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach also visited the Village to the north of the French capital. Thousands of athletes and officials are arriving, with up to 14,500 expected there at the peak of the Games.

Macron promised the Olympics Village would not be forgotten after the Olympics. "I will come back after the Games to see the legacy with you and to see how life has changed."