Kenya’s Shujaa Fall Short in Final African Olympic Qualifier

Kenya’s national rugby sevens team, Shujaa, suffered a devastating blow after failing to secure qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. In the final African qualifying tournament in Harare, Zimbabwe, the team fell short at the final hurdle, losing a tightly contested final 17-5 to South Africa. Shujaa had battled through the tournament with grit and determination, but the Blitzboks’ experience and power proved decisive in the final match. The loss was a bitter pill to swallow for the players and coaching staff, who had invested immense effort into the qualification campaign. The result means Kenya will not be represented in men’s rugby sevens at the Olympics for the first time since the sport’s reintroduction in 2016.