Africa Sports News of Friday, 7 February 2020

Source: bbc.com

Kenyan uproar over 2020 Olympic kit

The new kit features a honeycomb pattern The new kit features a honeycomb pattern

Kenya's official kit for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, has sparked an uproar on social media moments after it was unveiled.

The National Olympics Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) and Nike unveiled the kit in New York on Thursday.

It features a honeycomb pattern, but the design has been faulted for not having the correct shades of red, green and black - the colours of the country's national flag.

However, officials and athletes have expressed their liking for the kit.

Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge told the BBC that the new kit was "special" and "different".

"This kit will steal the eyes of Kenyans especially now [that] people love sports," he said.

The national Olympics president and athletics great Paul Tergat said "the uniqueness of the design reflects the vibrant culture of Kenya".

But many Kenyans on social media are far from convinced.They expressed their displeasure using the hashtags #TeamKenya and #Tokyo2020.

Another tweeter said there was no public participation in designing the kit and wanted the inclusion of the national flag colours.

The Olympic games will be held this year from 24 July to 9 August.