In 1964, the Kenya Judo Federation {KJF) was registered to introduce the Japanese martial art of Judo to the country. A relatively unknown Olympic sport, Judo started out as a game reserved for men. It wasn’t until 1992 that Women’s Judo was considered and added to the Olympics in Barcelona. Following the inclusion of women in Judo, Kenyan women were not left behind. Perister Bosire is one Kenyan woman who has since thrown her hat into the ring. Hers is a name etched in the halls of Kenya’s sports excellence for raising the country’s flag and waving it with pride in the sport.
Becoming a Judoka
Born as the seventh child in a family of 10 in Nyamira County, Bosire’s interest in sports was evident from her time in Bogwendo Primary School where she was a utility football player. On moving to Bogwendo Secondary School, Bosire’s sports compass re-routed, and she switched to shot put and discus field events. As she went on about shot put after secondary school, a friend informed her of a new game in town. Her friend spoke endlessly about Judo, piquing Bosire’s interest in it. This was in 2019 and the police games organised regularly by the Kenya Police were ongoing. Coincidentally, Judo was one of the sports featured in the tournament. Bosire’s friend nudged her to apply for the judo heavyweight team. Trusting in her sportswomanship, confidence and pure chance, Bosire gave it a shot. To her surprise, she made it to the team. This invigorated her and she took to training immediately and rigorously, acquainting herself with the sport’s basic techniques in a record one week.
A Champion Judoka
Bosire’s desire and unwavering dedication to offering the best of her best strength, discipline, and technique set her on the path to judo excellence. With only 4 years as a Judoka as of May 2023, Bosire has traversed Africa and won 4 gold medals and 1 silver medal.
The Africa Open judo tournament held in Dakar, Senegal on 13th November 2021 shot Bosire to national and regional stardom. Bosire dominated the women’s over 78 kgs competition, out skilling her opponents and winning Kenya its first ever gold medal in the international tournament. Bosire conquered the competition in the same land that had seen her come 7th in the African Senior Championships 2021, six months before.
In the spirit of Judo, we give a deep bow to Perister Bosire for taking the leap of faith, moving with confidence and optimism, and studding a historic gold medal on Kenya’s chest.
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