Paul Tergat is planning to stage a camp for Kenyan athletes to help them prepare for Birmingham 2022 ©Getty Images

President of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) Paul Tergat has declared he hopes to stage a training camp for national athletes at the earliest possible time in preparation for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Kenya is set to compete in 17 disciplines during Birmingham 2022, which is scheduled to be held between July 28 and August 8.

"We are in a very important part of the preparation especially now that we have started the countdown," he said, as reported by The Star.

"We want to proceed to camp as soon as possible.

"We need to have at least three months for preparations.

"As we go forward as the National Olympic Committee we want to ensure that we give every athlete in the country an opportunity in terms of qualifications to get a slot in the national team.

"That's why we are here.

Christine Ongare was one of Kenya's bronze medallists at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games ©Getty Images
Christine Ongare was one of Kenya's bronze medallists at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games ©Getty Images

"At the end of the day as a country when we see our athletes representing us, it inspires us, it inspires the nation."

Kenya won 17 medals four years earlier in the Gold Coast with four golds, seven silvers and six bronzes.

Four years previously, the African country claimed 10 golds, 10 silvers and five bronzes in a total of 25.

The vast majority of medals came from athletics in both editions.

Tergat is targeting to expand into gymnastics to increase Kenya’s opportunities of securing medals at the Games.

The NOC-K Executive Board had recently staged a meeting with International Gymnastics Federation President Morinari Watanabe where it was explored how to set up structures to aid the sport’s grassroots in Kenya.

Most of Kenya's Commonwealth Games' medals come from events in athletics ©Getty Images
Most of Kenya's Commonwealth Games' medals come from events in athletics ©Getty Images

"Gymnastics is one of the biggest summer Games and we believe we can find better ways of growing the sport within our country so as to expand our medals," Tergat said.

"We want to see to it that we grow more sports in the country and that's why we had a meeting with the President of Gymnastics International.

"We are going to engage the budding talent and facilitate them going forward.

"We are looking forward to seeing to it that in the future, the multi-sports games will help us bag a diversity of medals at the Commonwealth Games."

Secretary general Francis Mutuku added they are first targeting the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Tergat spoke during the ceremony called "100 days to Birmingham 2022 launch" at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi.

The Kenyan national teams for judo, boxing and taekwondo were among those to attend.