Junior Lionesses head coach Knight Otuoma has tipped a bright future for women's rugby in Kenya following the team's historic gold medal triumph at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal.The youngsters made history on Tuesday, 3 November, becoming the first Kenyan team to win an Olympic-level gold medal in a team sport after edging arch-rivals Australia 17-12 in a thrilling final.Download Our MozzartSport App for More NewsThe closely contested encounter went into extra time before the Junior Lionesses eventually prevailed, securing Kenya's first gold medal at the games.Speaking after the historic victory, Otuoma said the achievement was a clear indication of the depth of talent in Kenyan rugby and expressed optimism about the future of the women's game."It has been a tough tournament, but we have been preparing well. I just told the girls to go in and have fun. This means that Kenya Rugby has depth and the future of rugby is bright," Otuoma said.The tactician also explained the thinking behind his team selection during the pool stages, revealing that he made four changes for their first meeting with Australia as part of a deliberate strategy to manage his squad ahead of the knockout rounds.Dennis Ombachi offers solution to Kenya Sevens player contracts standoff"In our first match against Australia, I made four changes. I had to rest four players in preparation for the semifinal, so it was tactical. Thank you for the support," he added.The Junior Lionesses' triumph was particularly sweet after Australia had handed them their only defeat of the tournament, winning 17-5 in their final pool match earlier in the day.Kenya had started their campaign on a promising note, beating China 12-5 before shutting out hosts Senegal 19-0 to maintain their unbeaten run. Despite the setback against Australia, they had already secured qualification for the semifinals.Otuoma's charges responded emphatically, overcoming Madagascar 15-5 in the last four to set up a rematch with the Australians.##NAJAVA_MECA_10095393##This time, the Kenyans held their nerve in a dramatic final, coming from behind to force extra time before sealing the gold medal with a determined display.Captain Zain Mohammed, who featured at prop, could hardly contain her excitement after leading the team to the historic achievement, describing the medal as her first-ever gold."I am feeling very happy. This is my first-ever gold medal, and I am overjoyed. I am taking this medal back to Kenya, wow," Mohammed said.She admitted that the final was a difficult contest, with both sides locked at 5-5 at halftime before Australia edged ahead in the second half.However, the Junior Lionesses refused to surrender, finding a way back into the contest to level the scores and force the match into sudden death.EXPLAINER: Understanding Kenya Sevens' contract standoff between players and union"The first half was very tough; we were 5-5 at halftime. In the second half they scored, but we did not give up. We also scored to equalise it. In sudden death, we vowed to do our best to get the gold. This is what we have been fighting for, a gold-winning performance," she added.National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) Secretary General John Ogolla described the victory as a significant milestone not only for Kenya but also for Africa and the wider Olympic movement."This win means a lot for us as a country, Africa, and the Olympic movement fraternity in Kenya. This being the first Olympics in Africa, and us, Kenya, being the first country to win in a team sport and on African soil shows that we have the skill, talent, and, of course, with the necessary support, beating a team like Australia was not easy, but because of the tenacity that our ladies have, we won," Ogolla said.Meet the coach behind Kenya's historic Youth Olympic gold