Nairobi, Sep 7 (IANS): Kenya plans to spend $5.5 million to send a team to the 2016 Rio Olympics, officials said on Monday.

National Olympic Committee of Kenya (Nock) chairman Kipchoge Keino revealed the budget when he hosted a team of corporate sponsors of the Kenya team to the Youth Commonwealth Games in Apia, Samoa, reports Xinhua.

Four years ago in London, Kenya had overtaken the record set in Beijing by a single athlete. Forty seven athletes, 27 men and 20 women, competed in athletics, boxing, swimming and weightlifting, surpassing the 46 in Beijing.

This time, Kenya hopes to enter a big team in the Rio Olympics. Keino said they expect at least 60 athletes to take part, including in Rugby Sevens, which will be making its debut in the Games.

"The Rio Games are important to us and we want to work on areas we have not been successful before. Even in athletics, you saw that sprinters have all qualified and we want other disciplines to also push for more quotas," Keino said.

Kenya is represented by only seven track and field athletes in this year's Youth Commonwealth Games. Other disciplines include rugby, boxing, swimming and weightlifting.