The inaugural beach games is being held this weekend in Malindi.

At least 900 sports men and women are participating in the first ever beach games being held at the Malindi Beach Front this weekend.

Mr. John Ogolla, the Director of the Beach Games and a Member of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC), said 13 different sports federations are represented in the games in readiness for the African Beach Games to be held in Tunis, Tunisia in June.

The games being played are beach soccer, beach handball, beach volleyball, karate, tae kwon do, boxing and dhow/canoe racing among others.

He said the games, which were officially launched Friday by Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro, will also be used to select a team to represent Kenya in the World Beach Games Championships in Indonesia in July.

“Beside developing the beach aspects of the sports, we are also using this in preparation for the African Beach Games and of course the Wild Beach Games that will come in July.The event will also be used to promote local tourism in the country”, Mungaro said.

Titus Kisekwa, the Technical Director of the Kenya Handball Federation in charge of beach handball said the event had attracted 12 handball teams – six for men and six for women divided into two pools each.

Lilian Nandulu Kazungu, the Federation of Kenya Football (FKF) committee members in charge of Beach Soccer said 16 teams drawn from counties that have a coastline – Kwale, Kilifi, Lamu and Mombasa are taking part in the event.