NOCK launches Athletes Week 2026 to power Kenya’s Olympic journey

The National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) has officially launched Athletes Week 2026 in Nairobi, bringing together 140 athletes drawn from more than 30 national sports federations.

The week-long initiative is aimed at strengthening athlete engagement, welfare and career development at a crucial phase of Kenya’s Olympic cycle.

Athletes Week merges two flagship programmes — the National Athletes Forum on January 13 and 14, and the Athlete365 Career Plus Programme on January 15 and 16 — into a single platform for dialogue, learning and capacity building.

The programme was opened by International Olympic Committee Athletes’ Commission member and former NOC-K athlete representative, Olympian Humphrey Kayange, reinforcing the athlete-centred approach of the initiative.

Organizers say Athletes Week is designed to ensure athletes take an active role in shaping conversations around performance, wellbeing, career transition and representation in sport.

Officially opening the event, NOC-K President Shadrack Maluki stressed the importance of prioritizing athlete welfare as Kenya gears up for a demanding international calendar, including the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games and the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

“We’ll be working to ensure that there are programmes that ensure your transition is smooth, you don’t just expire,” said Maluki.

“We train you to start giving back to the same federations where you are coming from. We can be the most sporting nation in the world because Kenya doesn’t lack talent, you are the talent.”

NOCK leadership emphasised that sustainable success requires a holistic approach that balances elite performance with mental health support, career planning and safeguarding.