John Ogolla, a former Kenyan weightlifter and international sports expert, founded the Sports Wave Africa Foundation  organization in 2021.

Having held various positions in sports with the both national and international sports federations, Mr. Ogolla noticed most African coaches managed high-level athletes without formal coaching education, possessing mainly participation certificates from workshops and seminars.

Out of this experience and concern, John established a resource platform for Coaching Education and Development Programs. The platform enables coaches, athletes, and sports managers to learn and share information with other sports professionals and experts worldwide.

Throughout his career, John has held multiple roles in sports, including being an athlete, national coach, team manager, and international referee. As chef de mission, he led Team Kenya at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022. Moreover, he has represented Kenya in numerous international events in various capacities. He participated in events like the 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth Games, the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, and refereed at both the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the 2020 and 2024 Olympics. He also served as the director of the Kenya National Beach Games and performed other technical managerial duties on the Kenya National Olympic Committee board.

He holds a higher diploma in business management, a bachelor’s degree in political science and public administration, a master’s degree in international Olympic sports administration, and a postgraduate diploma in sports science from Masinde Muliro University.

John believes that Africa has a wealth of coaching talent; if properly developed, promoted, and supported through advocacy for proven scientific coaching programs, this talent would enhance global understanding of the continent and its contributions to the spirit of excellence in sports coaching and performance.