Juma, 25, is among six swimmers who will represent Kenya — the first time the country will field a swimming team at the quadrennial multi-sport event.
The Kwale-based athlete says he is excited and ready for the global stage after an intensive three-week residential training camp at the Kasarani Aquatic Stadium in Nairobi under veteran coach Irene Kerubo.
“We have been training very hard for the last couple of weeks. I now feel energised and ready for the Deaflympics,” said Juma. “Our instructor has improved our swimming skills and built our confidence. We are no longer timid to compete in Tokyo.”
He added: “I want to encourage all my teammates to give their best because we must represent our country positively by winning medals.”
Juma will compete in four events — 50m backstroke, 100m breaststroke, 50m breaststroke, and 50m freestyle — and says he is confident of success.
“I’m confident of winning medals in the Deaflympics,” said Juma, an alumnus of Kwale School for the Deaf.
This will be his second international outing, having represented Kenya at the 2023 World Deaf Swimming Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Although he did not achieve the results he hoped for there, Juma says the experience was invaluable.
Coach Irene Kerubo praised Juma’s progress, describing him as one of the most improved swimmers in the squad.
Juma learnt how to swim at the age of 10 along the beaches of the Indian Ocean. He says his father, Hamadi Rehema, has been his biggest inspiration and motivator.
In September, President William Ruto announced an increase in rewards for medallists at global championships. Gold medallists will now receive Sh3 million (up from Sh750,000), silver medallists Sh2 million (up from Sh500,000), and bronze medallists Sh1 million (up from Sh350,000).
by ANGWENYI GICHANA
