Kenya Tong-Il-Moo-Do Federation is seeking sponsors to successfully host the annual Mombasa International Championship in December 2020.
"The event will take 12 days and we need approximately Sh200 million to successfully host it. We are, however, awaiting approval from the government for the event to go ahead," Clarence Mwakio, president of the federation, said.
Mwakio said that close to 18 countries have expressed interest in participating in the event. "South Korea, Nigeria, Philippines, Iran, Nepal, Japan, Congo Brazzaville and Congo DRC are some of the countries to have confirmed participation," he said.
The championship was to be held in August 2020 but was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent suspension of sporting activities in the country. The Kenyan national team also known as Jasiri has been posting impressive results in previous editions of the tournament.
In 2019, the team finished second in the World Martial Arts Mastership Tong Il Moo Do Championship in Chungju, South Korea, thanks to a nine-medal haul of two gold, two silver and five bronze.
Mwakio is hopeful that team members' fitness levels have not been affected by the extended period of inactivity.
"We don't anticipate that our performance levels will be affected because everyone has been training individually. We are waiting to hear from the Sports PS and know the way forward regarding our schedule," he said.
Even as the federation awaits more directions on resumption of sports, it is already mulling over the logistics for the tournament.
Because of restrictions on crowd gatherings, the federation may embrace online platforms to beam the event to its audiences.
"We are also thinking of reaching out to various media stations to broadcast the event. However, we hope by December people will be allowed to attend events so that as many people as possible can attend the event," he said.
Mwakio added that the federation will hold more activities countrywide in 2021 to revive its clubs in various counties, including Kwale, Kakamega, Mombasa, Nairobi, Bungoma, Kiambu and Kisumu among others.