Kenya’s medal haul at the ongoing 2025 African Youth Games in Luanda, Angola, climbed to 14 on Tuesday after impressive performances in judo and fencing delivered three more bronze medals, underlining the country’s growing strength beyond traditional track events.
Teen judokas Rael Kulova and Harun Amin each claimed bronze at the Complexo Desportivo da Cidadela, while fencer Kinoti Kiara sealed the day with a third-place finish in sabre. The results pushed Kenya’s overall tally to four gold, three silver and seven bronze medals.
Kulova, competing in the Under-48kg category, edged past a Nigerian opponent after scoring a yuko in a tightly contested bronze medal bout.
The 16-year-old, ranked 93rd globally among juniors, capped off an outstanding 2025 season that has marked her out as one of Kenya’s most promising young judokas.
Her year has already included a gold medal at the Casablanca Cadet African Cup in Morocco in January, as well as bronze finishes at both the Pretoria Cadet African Cup and the Pretoria Junior African Cup in South Africa.
Inspired by Zeddy Cherotich, the first Kenyan woman to compete in judo at the Olympics in 2024, Kulova says her sights are firmly set on the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar.
“I wanted to win gold but I’m happy with the bronze,” she said. “The competition was tough because everyone is chasing a Youth Olympics slot. This feels like a preview of what 2026 will be like. I’m going home motivated to win more medals for Kenya.”
In the Under-50kg category, Harun Amin announced himself on the continental stage with a memorable debut. The Rongai-based judoka scored a waza-ari against his Senegalese opponent before sealing victory with an ippon to claim bronze.
“This is my first continental championship and even my first time on a flight,” Amin said. “This medal has given me more energy to work harder. I want to compete in more championships and keep winning.”
National Under-17 judo head coach Alice Chebet praised the resilience shown by the young athletes, noting that both bounced back strongly after early setbacks.
“The last three months of training were intense, and mentally they were ready,” Chebet said. “Even after losing their opening matches, they responded well. These medals are a big boost as we head into a very busy 2026.”
National Olympic Committee of Kenya president Shadrack Maluki said the results vindicated efforts to diversify Kenya’s medal prospects across multiple sports.
“We’re now winning medals in judo, karate and fencing,” Maluki said. “We don’t want to rely only on athletics. These youngsters are the future, not just for the Youth Olympics, but also for Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032.”
The African Youth Games bring together athletes aged 14 to 17 from across the continent, competing in 33 sports, and Kenya’s expanding medal base is fast becoming one of the standout stories of the Luanda edition.