Rugby

Heartbreak for Kenya Lionesses as they fall to China in Olympics Repechage final

Kenya Lionesses celebrate after beating Argentina in the semifinals of the Olympics Repachage

By Rama Mohammed | Sunday, June 23, 2024

China's win over Kenya guarantees them a place in the upcoming Olympics in Paris

The Kenyan 7s women's national team, known as the Lionesses, will not be participating in the Paris 2024 Olympics. Despite a valiant effort, they suffered a 24-7 defeat to China in the repechage final held on Sunday in Monaco.

Janet Okello scored the only try for Kenya, with Grace Okulu adding the conversion. Despite the loss, the team's determination and resilience have been commendable throughout the tournament.

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Tough luck to Kenya Lionesses, they have lost 24-7 to China to miss out on Paris qualification. The girls are heartbroken 💔 https://t.co/CVoBwFAYr2
— Katami Michelle (@MichKatami) June 23, 2024

The Lionesses kicked off their campaign with an impressive 31-5 win over Samoa and followed it up with a narrow 19-17 victory against Argentina in the final pool match. Their third scheduled pool match against Papua New Guinea was canceled, resulting in Kenya finishing top of Pool A with eight points.

In the quarterfinals, the Lionesses faced Argentina once again, securing a 15-12 win to advance to the semifinals, where they overcame Czechia with a close 12-10 victory. However, they could not maintain their momentum in the final against China.

This was the second time the Lionesses faced China this year. In January, during the Challenger Series in Dubai, Kenya defeated China 17-12 in the opening pool match, but China retaliated with a 19-5 victory in the tournament's final.