NOCK SG Ogolla's ambitious plan for weightlifting in Kenya

Kenya National Olympic Committee (NOCK) Secretary General John Ogolla, who also serves in the same capacity at the Kenya Weightlifting Federation, has announced plans to expand the sport across all parts of Kenya.

Speaking to Radio Generation on Wednesday, Ogolla congratulated his athletes, most of whom are youngsters drawn from secondary schools across the country, for their impressive performances at the African Youth Games last December and the recently concluded African Senior Weightlifting Championships in Ismailia, Egypt.

"We have school-going children as young as 16 years old winning medals for Kenya. This is the way to go, as they now serve as role models to many others, either in school or at home," Ogolla told Radio Generation.

"When I came in as Secretary General back in 2008, we only had one training centre. Now we have four — in Nairobi, Kitengela, Thika and Lang'ata. As you know, Olympic weightlifting is very different from something like bodybuilding. It requires specialised training equipment as well as proper gymnasiums," he added.

During the fourth edition of the African Youth Games in Luanda, Angola, in December 2025, Kenya's young weightlifters secured a total of nine medals, including five silver and four bronze.

Among the standout performers were Lina Amanda, who won two silver medals and one bronze in the women's 48kg category, alongside Ace Wood Waiyaki and Ian Okinyi, who claimed three bronze and three silver medals respectively.

"We have started a programme that begins training athletes as early as 13 years old, and you can see that most of our senior national team members are 21 years and below. We even had a 16-year-old making her debut at the African Senior Championships," Ogolla said.

Kenya's most recent major international weightlifting competition was the 2026 African Senior Weightlifting Championships, held in Ismailia, Egypt, from May 2 to May 14.

Teenage sensation Mercy Kerubo, aged 16, won a bronze medal in the women's 63kg category during her senior continental debut after lifting 81kg in the snatch and 95kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 176kg.

However, the Kenya Weightlifting Federation is not resting on its laurels. Ogolla is now pushing his athletes towards greater success, with attention shifting to the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Dakar Youth Olympic Games later this year.

At the same time, the federation remains focused on grassroots development, with plans to expand weightlifting programmes into more counties and schools across Kenya as part of its long-term strategy to grow the sport nationwide.