Published on: February 09, 2026 03:00 (EAT)
Kenya Rugby 7s men team Shujaa players during training session at Kasarani Annex on May 10, 2024. The team is preparing for the HSBC Sevens challenger in Germany on May 18-19, 2024. Photo/Sportpicha
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As Kenya
gears up to host the HSBC SVNS 2 tournament, the event is being viewed as a
major opportunity to position the country as both a credible sporting nation
and an attractive sports tourism destination.
Kenya
Rugby Union (KRU) Chairperson Harriet Okach says the global sevens tournament
goes beyond rugby, providing a platform to showcase Kenya’s sporting
facilities, organisational capacity and renowned hospitality to the international
sporting community.
In an interview
with Sporty Monday programme on
Citizen TV, Okach noted that hosting international competitions allows
visiting teams, officials and fans to experience the country’s infrastructure
and services firsthand – exposure she believes is critical in attracting future
hosting rights across different sports.
“These
tournaments will enable us to showcase Kenya as a sports tourism destination,
as well as a sporting nation,” Okach said.
She adds
that Kenya’s diversity and warmth remain among its strongest assets, with major
sporting events offering an opportunity to demonstrate the country’s ability to
host visitors from around the world.
According
to Okach, the successful staging of the HSBC SVNS 2 will send a strong signal
to global sporting bodies that Kenya can deliver world-class events that meet
international standards both on and off the field.
The
tournament, set to be held this weekend, at the Nyayo National Stadium, she
notes, also aligns with Kenya’s broader ambition of using sport as a catalyst
for tourism growth, economic activity and increased global visibility.
With
teams and fans expected to travel from different parts of the world, the event
presents a chance to market Kenya’s hospitality industry, tourism offerings and
cultural diversity alongside elite sporting competition.
Kenya
has previously hosted major continental and international tournaments, but
Okach believes consistent exposure through globally recognised events is key to
elevating the country’s profile as a preferred host nation.
Sje
noted that the Union’s focus remains on delivering a seamless tournament
experience that reflects positively on the country.
For
Okach, the objective extends beyond the final whistle, viewing the HSBC SVNS 2
as a stepping stone toward attracting more international sporting events and
strengthening Kenya’s standing on the global sports map.
