The tremendous growth of skating in the region over the past seven years has increased the chances of sending more experienced athletes to the 2015 World Roller Speed Skating Championships to be held in November in Taiwan.

Kenya is the only country in the region that has taken part in the World Roller Speed Skating Championships, in the 2008 event in Spain and the 2013 Oostende championships in Belgium.

Uganda and Rwanda have picked up the sport in the past five years, and are looking forward to their maiden appearance in the championships.

Former Roller Sport Kenya Federation chairman Mwangi Muchuri and Stephen Kemboi (now late) represented Kenya in 2008.

Seven Kenyans were among a field of 410 runners from a record 52 nations who took part in the 2013 Oostende. Although the team finished second last in the championships, more skaters have joined the sport. 

As a warm up, Uganda will stage the Tupendane Roller Speed Skating Championships followed by the Jambo Skating Championships in October in Nairobi. The two events will feature skaters from Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania.

The head of speed skating at the Kenya Federation of Roller Skating (KFRS), Joel Andanje, said their participation at the World Championships in 2008 and 2013 has inspired the steady growth of the game. The team also took part in the 2010 and 2011 Africa Championships in South Africa and the 2012 edition that was held in Kenya.

After finishing third behind South Africa and Egypt in 2010, Kenya finished second behind South Africa in 2011 and 2012.

“Kenya has been setting the standards in the region, but Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi are coming up well,” said Andanje, who was in the team for the 2013 Worlds. “The game is spreading fast in Uganda and Rwanda since roll-ball players easily adapt to speed skating.

“We didn’t perform so well in Spain and Belgium owing to stage fright and inexperience, but we hope the team that will be selected will bring home good results,” added Andanje, adding that the facilities in Europe, especially the competition surfaces, are quite different from Kenya’s. “The arenas have slanted surfaces unlike here where we mainly use hard tarmac roads.” 

The clubs representative at KFRS, Yunus Ali, said the initiative to elect representatives three months ago to help in spreading the popularity of the sport across the country is bearing fruit, with schools in the counties embracing the sport. 

“We have visited places like Kericho, Homa Bay, Nakuru, Nyeri and Mombasa and I am glad to say the representatives we have put in all the eight regions are helping us tap talent,” said Ali.

He said the main challenge they face is funding and equipment. For instance, they intend to take a team of 20 skaters that includes 10 juniors to the World Championships hence they will need funds for putting the team in camp. “We will also need funds for air tickets and accommodation while in Taiwan,” Ali said.

Uganda has a league of eight teams, and has introduced both roll-ball and roller speed skating in schools. “We have opened three academies that will handle all the roller skating events, including roll-ball and speed skating,” said Uganda coach Thomas Bamuteeze.

He said they too face funding problems. “These are new sports, and getting funding from the government is difficult. But we believe this year they will have some funds for us.”

Kenya has had a new office in place, with chairman Anthony Kamunyu as the acting president of the Federation of African Roller Sports, after Wendy Van Heerden stepped down.

After Van Heerden exit, the International Roller Sports Federation (FIRS) put Africa under European watch.

While Africa may benefit in terms of financial aid, Bamuteeze said the person in charge from Europe may not understand how Africa handles its affairs. “We may benefit from financial support, but every country has its own style of leadership,” said Bamuteeze.

Andanje said the global politics could ruin the gains the sport is making across the region and Africa. “We should be left to handle our own affairs. There is no way a person from outside the continent can know our affairs,” he said.