2024 Olympics team could train in France

Athletics Kenya (AK) Youth Development Director Barnaba Korir and officials from Athletic Club Miramas in France are in talks to have Kenyan runners train at the club for a month before the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

The club played host to a team of 11 junior athletes who jetted back home last week after a one-month training programme in France.

The junior athletes are preparing for the World Athletics Under-20 Championships to be held in Cali, Colombia, from August 2 to 7.

The visiting officials said they were impressed by the development of athletics in Kenya, and especially in the sprints.

They are interested in entering into a long-term partnership with Kenyan athletics.

Korir said if an agreement is reached, it would be a plus for Kenya because the country’s athletes will access one of the best training facilities which will be a major boost to their performance at the Summer Games.

“Club Miramas are our good friends and we are happy because they hosted the junior sprints team well. The athletes have returned home, and we are hoping that they will perform well at the World Under-20 Championships,” said Korir.

One-month camp

“We are holding talks with the club’s officials and we will send a panel from AK and the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) to France to sign an agreement for a one-month training programme before the Games.”

Africa’s fastest man, Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala, said he had been invited at the club after officials liked his performance in the 60 metres race during the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Lievin, France, in February, but his tight schedule could not allow him.

“Club Miramas has very good facilities. I was invited at the club but I could not make it for training. The junior runners got the opportunity. This is a good initiative especially for sprinters. Such partnerships will benefit Kenya a lot because we have a lot of talent,” said Omanyala.

Daniel Rono, an elite coach who was part of the delegation in France, said the French club wants to give a chance to more Kenyans, especially the sprinters, because they have modern facilities that would help Kenyan stars.

“We saw how Omanyala performed at the weekend (during the Kip Keino Classic Continental Tour on Saturday at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani). We are impressed because he competed in France in the 60m indoor race and he made us proud. We will be receiving Kenyan officials in France soon to check our facilities because we want to host Team Kenya before the 2024 Olympic Games,” said Rono.

Rono was accompanied by Christophe Claude Catoni (chairman), Patrice Jean Buffet (technical director), Nadia Ali (director of sports in the mayor’s office, Miramas) and Loic Maurice Piola (designer).

The junior team of sevens boys and four girls drawn mainly from sprints and field events were in France for one month under coach Andrew Maritim.