Samuda invites Kenya Olympic Committee boss to Champs
Published:Thursday | March 26, 2026 | 12:07 AMGregory Bryce/Staff Reporter
Christopher Samuda, president of the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA), has invited Shadrack Maluki, president of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya, to the National Stadium to watch the 2026 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships (Champs).
Maluki was received on the island yesterday to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Jamaica and Kenya.
The MOU will see the two countries formalising a relationship aimed towards empowering athletes and using sports as a vehicle of development.
Samuda said while on the island, he has invited Maluki to attend Champs to witness the five-day track meet, which has become a globally recognised event.
“The National Olympic Committee of Kenya will be signing a memorandum of understanding with the JOA, cementing the cordial relationship between the governing national Olympic bodies and re-affirming our joint commitment to establish a model partnership cross-borders,” Samuda explained.
“On my invitation to witness Champs as a remarkable sporting experience which is globally recognised as unique and a sporting asset of the sprint factory.”
Samuda explained that Maluki’s presence at the National Stadium will be made even more special with the number of Kenyan athletes competing at Champs.
Nahashon Ruto of Kingston College and St Jago’s Ryan Achau are two Kenyan athletes who have been making waves at Champs.
Samuda said the growth of Champs as a global product has made Jamaica a central hub of youth development in track and field.
“Our school system provides a structure which is tried and proven in developing athletic talent, and this structure houses critical technical competencies of coaches,” Samuda explained.
“We now have a reservoir of trained and experienced coaches, which forms a network that is systemically producing a pipeline of talented youth for schools which are recognising the value of sport in building character and resilience,” he continued.
“Champs provides a nurturing ground for regional and international championships. It acclimatises athletes in a competitive environment where mental fortitude, physical resilience and emotional intelligence coalesce in realising your best effort on the day.”
Samuda said this year’s staging of Champs is made even more significant post-Hurricane Melissa with the return of the Youth Olympic Games in October of this year.
“[Champs] is a dress rehearsal for the big stage and gets them competition-ready for the lights, camera and action of the drama of the global stage.”
He continued, “With post-Melissa challenges and disruptions in the training schedules, Champs offers an opportunity for our youth to rise above the hurdles, demonstrate their character and mettle, and deliver.”
This will be the fourth staging of the Youth Olympic Games, and the first since 2018.