AK to pick team for Africa Cross Country Championships
Daniel Simiu wins the senior men's 10km race during the third edition of Sirikwa Classic World Cross Country Tour, held at Lobo Village in Kapseret, Uasin Gishu County on February 03, 2024.
What you need to know:
- Paul Mutwii, Athletics Kenya’s Vice President and Director of Competitions, that the season is packed and Kenya will have a good representation in various events that they are going to compete in.
- “Apart from the upcoming continental event, we have other various events where Kenya is also expected to do well and I want to urge athletes to continue training and working hard towards one goal for doing well and running clean,” said Mutwii.
Athletics Kenya is expected to name a strong team that will represent Kenya at the Africa Cross Country Championships in Tunis on February 25 on Monday.
Earlier, the federation had promised to use Saturday’s Sirikwa Classic World Cross Country Gold Tour meeting at the Lobo Village in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, to select the team for the continental event. But according to Sirikwa Classic meet director Barnaba Korir, there was limited time after Saturday’s event for the selectors to convene, with the naming pushed to Monday.
He said it’s a race against time with just a few days to the Tunis competition and that the selectors will make sure they pick a strong team.
“We are going to name the team tomorrow (Monday) and we expect them to get into residential training as soon as possible because we have limited time ahead of the event,” said Korir.
He added that the criteria for selection is simple: The first six athletes across the line in every category, providing those selected are eligible and available. “We believe all those called upon will be able to honour and represent the country in the upcoming event,” added Korir.
The last edition was held in 2018 in Chlef, Algeria, and the subsequent edition to be held in Togo in 2020 was postponed due to Covid-19 before it was cancelled altogether in 2021.
National trials in Ruiru
During the 2018 edition, Kenya managed three gold medals through Alfred Barkach and Celliphine Chespol led in the senior categories with Rhonex Kipruto winning the junior title.
Margaret Chelimo and Julius Kogo settled for silver medals in the women’s and men’s senior categories respectively with Stanley Waithaka bagging a silver medal in the eight-kilometre junior category while Hellen Ekalale settled for bronze in the junior women’s race.
Kenya also earned silver in the mixed relay through Charles Simotwo, Emily Chebet, Bethwel Birgen and Winfred Mbithe.
The federation will also be holding the national trials for the World Country Championships on March 9 at the Kenya Prisons Training College in Ruiru, Kiambu County, where another team is expected to be selected for the March 9 global meet in Belgrade, Serbia.
Paul Mutwii, Athletics Kenya’s Vice President and Director of Competitions, that the season is packed and Kenya will have a good representation in various events that they are going to compete in.
“Apart from the upcoming continental event, we have other various events where Kenya is also expected to do well and I want to urge athletes to continue training and working hard towards one goal for doing well and running clean,” said Mutwii.
