PS Mwangi, Chinese envoy Guo Haiyan push sports diplomacy as China–Kenya games debut in Nairobi

Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi and Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Guo Haiyan on Thursday used the inaugural China–Kenya Friendship Games at Nyayo National Stadium to underline the growing role of sport in diplomatic cooperation between the two countries.

The inaugural China–Kenya Friendship Games united over 700 participants from 19 teams, representing Chinese enterprises operating in Kenya and their Kenyan colleagues, transforming Nyayo National Stadium into one of the country’s largest corporate sporting gatherings of the year.

Supported by the Chinese Embassy and hosted by the Kenya–China Economic and Trade Association (KCETA), whose members include major firms such as Huawei, CRBC, and AVIC, the event combined full track-and-field competitions with lively fun games, fostering camaraderie, teamwork, and cross-cultural exchange among employees from diverse companies.

Ambassador Guo, who opened the Games, said the event had elevated people-to-people exchange in a year where cultural collaboration between the two nations has intensified.

She described sport as “a bridge that transcends languages and borders,” adding that the Friendship Games were now a flagship activity under the 2025 China–Kenya Culture and Tourism Season.

She noted that with China–Kenya relations currently at their strongest point since the establishment of diplomatic ties, Chinese enterprises were expected to deepen their contribution to local communities, including through sport.

PS Mwangi echoed those sentiments, emphasising that Kenya’s sports sector is becoming a central arena for bilateral engagement. He argued that while trade and infrastructure continue to define the China–Kenya partnership, everyday interactions such as employees competing together on the track are what sustain long-term cooperation.

“Sports remind us that the strength of any bilateral relationship lies in everyday interactions between colleagues, friends and communities,” he said. “What we saw today is the human connection that underpins our wider cooperation in technology, manufacturing and national development.”

On the track, 371 athletes competed in classic sprint and middle-distance events, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m as well as the 4×100m and 4×400m relays and long jump.

Another 340 participants took part in team-building contests, including tug-of-war, three-legged races and sack races. Kenyan and Chinese runners shared lanes throughout, with cheering sections on opposite stands frequently joining into unified chants.

Beyond the competition, Mwangi pointed to the Games as evidence of Kenya’s push to integrate sports science and international training collaboration into its long-term sports development plan.

He noted that Kenya stands to benefit from China’s advances in athlete monitoring, injury-prevention technology, sports medicine and data-driven coaching areas where China has made major global strides.

In return, the PS said China could leverage Kenya’s globally renowned high-altitude training regions in Iten, Eldoret, Nandi Hills and Nyandarua, which have produced world and Olympic champions for decades.

He encouraged Chinese teams to train locally through joint camps, coaching exchanges and mutually aligned development programmes.

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• Chinese envoy Guo Haiyan push sports diplomacy as China–Kenya games debut in Nairobi

KCETA chairman Yu Xiaodong said the Association, which represents 103 Chinese enterprises in Kenya, intends to establish the Friendship Games as an annual event. According to KCETA data, Chinese companies hired more than 60,000 Kenyan employees between 2022 and 2023, forming 90 per cent of their workforce.

For both the PS and the Ambassador, the day’s biggest victory lay beyond medals or race times. It was in the demonstration that sport can serve as a diplomatic tool in a field where cooperation is not negotiated in boardrooms but forged in competition, teamwork and shared celebration.