However, the team’s departure to the beach World Cup was marred with controversy. Players had to camp at Talanta Plaza, the headquarter of the Ministry of Sports demanding facilitation for the competi
The Kenya national Kabaddi team clinched a bronze medal at the recently concluded Men’s Beach World Cup in Iran, marking the end of an extraordinary and challenging journey. In a statement, the Kenya Kabaddi Union (KKU) celebrated the achievement as a major milestone in the nation's sports development.
“While we may not have achieved our ultimate goal, this bronze medal is a proud achievement for all of us. Finishing as the third-best team in the world is a tremendous milestone for our team and our nation,” the federation stated.
Kenya kicked off their tournament with a spectacular 66 – 14 victory over Palestine in Pool B. They then faced a setback against Pakistan losing 45 – 32 in the second match but bounced back beating Lebanon and Germany, earning a spot for in the semifinals after finishing second in their pool. Unfortunately, they lost to the hosts Iran 30 – 49 in their semifinal before contesting for the bronze title.
The federation emphasized that this bronze medal sets stage for future successes. “We return home with great pride and renewed hope for upcoming championships where we aim for greater achievements including winning gold,” they stated.
However, the team’s departure to the beach World Cup was marred with controversy. Players had to camp at Talanta Plaza, the headquarter of the Ministry of Sports demanding facilitation for the competition. After spending the night at Talanta Plaza, the team was informed to head to the airport for their flight at 6.00 PM only for them to discover that no tickets had been booked for them.
They eventually managed to travel in batches after being stranded at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for some hours. Sports PS Peter Tum defended the ministry stating that the federation had not provided accurate correct travel dates or duration of the competition, nor had they supplied the manual for the competition.