Kenya Amateur Wrestling Association ( KAWA) has confirmed that it's all systems go for the 2026 Calendar year opener, the National league that commences this February 26-27 in Nairobi County.
Speaking in Nairobi on Wednesday, Federation Secretary General (SG) and also coach, Erick Walucho, was quick to mention that 20 wrestling clubs across the country have already confirmed their 2026 participation of the Kenya Amateur Wrestling Association ( KAWA) national league that begins this weekend.
"We are starting our 2026 KAWA Calendar year in Nairobi this February. This time we have a record 20 wrestling clubs and counting, ready for the event,” said the former International wrestler, now federation SG.
"We also have African championships coming up, and that will be used to garner points for Dakar, that’s why I need more youngsters to show up and qualify for this global event on African soil,” said the SG adding that the league is also used to select potential talents for both the junior and senior national teams with the 2026 Youth Olympics Games in Dakar also in mind.
KAWA’s wrestling national league that begins this February will have the Seniors, U-17 and U- 20 categories for both female and male, events that will be used to select national teams to the Africa championship slated for Alexandria in Egypt from April 26, 2026 to May 2026, where Kenya will primarily be selected in the Free Style for both men and women, Greco-Roman Style and the Beach Wrestling styles for both men and women.
Kenya is planning to qualify at least ten young wrestlers for the 4th Summer Youth Olympic Games (YOG) scheduled for Dakar, Senegal, October 31- November 13, 2026, an event that will feature 2,700 young athletes across 25 sports in the towns of Diamniadio and Saly, focusing on youth, sustainability, and cultural exchange.
The senior national team will also be preparing for a nine-day global showdown event, the first one to be held in an Arab country, the World Championships in Bahrain from October 24 to November 1, 2026.
This means that after the February first leg in Nairobi, the second leg that kick starts in Nakuru County on March 14-15, 2026 is a must do for National Olympic Committee of Kenya ( NOCK) scholarship programme award winners for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics games; Heavy weights Mathayo Mahabila, Joel Tukai and Kenneth Koech who must step up their game, get a ticket to the national team and use the Bahrain international event as a stepping stone for more points, with other events that will qualify them to the 2028 Olympics Games in Los Angeles, USA.
