Youthful archer Shehzana Anwar will carry Kenya’s flag at Friday’s Olympic Games opening ceremony in the absence of team captain Ezekiel Kemboi, who is still in Kenya.
The reigning African women’s archery champion will lead the Kenya march past at the Maracana Stadium in her debut Olympics. This will be a major morale booster for the daughter of Kenya rally driver Azar Anwar.
Coincidentally, Shehzana will be among the first Kenyan to kick off her programme as she parades for the individual ranking rounds early on Friday.
She will become the first archer to carry the national flag and the 11th listed flag bearer in Kenya’s 15 appearances at the summer Olympic Games.
Previously, the flag at the games has been a preserve of track stars with boxers, volleyballer and a swimmer occasionally taking up her role.
Swimmer Jason Dunford was the last Kenyan to carry the flag at the 2012 London Olympics.
“This is a dream come true and it means everything to me. Finally I get here at the Olympics with archery. I am excited and I can’t wait to carry the Kenyan flag,” Anwar said on Wednesday, after yet another intense shooting session at the Sambódromo Range.
“My dream since I ventured into archery 14 years ago has been to make it to the Olympic Games. I am happy this has come to pass, “ she said.
Shehzana , who came through qualification in February comes from a sporting family with her dad Azar, a three- time Kenya national rally champion and her elder brother Shezan, a seven-time Quad champion.
She is in Rio with her mum Tabassum Anwar who is also her coach and manager.
“My family has been very supportive of me and having my mum here makes things even easier. My mum took up an interest in the sport after I started competing. Archery is now part and parcel of me,” she said.
After winning the African individual event at the 2016 African Championships in Windhoek, Namibia, she competed at the South African and World Cup in Turkey. She won gold over the short distance in South Africa and rounded up her Olympic build-up in Antalya last June where she ranked 18 hence moving up to 195 in the women’s standings from 213.
“I will not put pressure on my self having come this far. However, I will do my best and take whatever comes,” she added, well aware of the burden of expectations.
The qualified instructor splits her time practicing and coaching archery at the Strathmore University in Nairobi.
“My interest in archery has doubled since I won the African title