Hungry Mneria is a man on a mission

Charles Mneria is focusing on the larger picture not just defending his Kenya Prisons Service Cross Country Championships title on Saturday at the Prisons Staff Training College (PSTC), Ruiru. 

Safaricom PLC Friday boosted the Prisons inter regional competition when sponsorship manager Peris Nduta Muhoro presented the sponsorship cheque of Sh900,000 to Commissioner General of Prisons Wycliffe Ogallo at Magereza House, Nairobi.

Mneria said he is keen on sealing a hat-trick on the international scene this year if Covid-19 doesn’t wreak havoc as it did last year. 

The 24-year-old is targeting the Africa Cross Country Championships and the 10,000m crown at the Africa Senior Athletics Championships before ultimately going for glory on return at the Olympics in Tokyo.

10,000m Olympic gold

The sixth Africa Cross Country Championships will be staged March 6-7 in Lome, Togo, the 22nd African Senior Championships are due June 1-5 in Algiers while the Tokyo on Olympic Games will run from July 23 to August 8.

“The continental events form a good foundation for me ahead of my Olympics dream,” said Mneria, who won bronze in senior men’s race at the 2016 Africa Cross Country Championships in Cameroon.

Mneria, who lost in the semi-finals of the men’s 5,000m race at the 2016 Rio Olympics, noted that Kenya is capable of redeeming itself in men’s 10,000m at the Tokyo Summer Games but only if they plan and execute well.  

Kenya is yet to win gold in 10,000m at the Olympics since Naftali Temu’s exploits at the 1968 Mexico City Summer Games.

“What is important are preparations as well as execution during the competition day. Right now, we need to identify the probable athletes and help them prepare,” explained Mneria, who qualified for 2016 Rio Olympics in 10,000m but later moved to 5,000m.

Mneria noted that even though Kenya faces a tough battle in 10,000m, the country has a good mix capable of ending the dry run at the Olympics.

Mneria singled out world half marathon silver medallist Kibiwott Kandie, world 10,000m bronze medallist Rhonex Kipruto and Rogers Kwemoi, who finished fourth in 10,000m at the 2019 World Championships in Doha.

“I don’t know Geoffrey Kamworor’s plans but he is another prospect on a good day,” said Mneria, who is going for a hat-trick against an elite dotted field, having retained his Prisons title last year after braving an injury. Kamworor won silver in 10,000m at the 2015 World Championships.

Mneria defeated Emmanuel Ngatuny from Prisons Headquarters to second place.

Mneria, who is fresh from winning the Athletics Kenya Cross Country Series in Mosoriot, and Ngatuny will battle Prisons' 10,000m champion Peter Emase in the men's 10km race.

The race also has the likes of 2012 London Olympics 5,000m bronze medallist, Thomas Longosiwa, Kenya’s representative in 5,000m at the 2017 London World Championships, Mangata Ndiwa and former Africa 10,000m silver medallist Wilfred Kimitei.

World 1,500m champion Timothy Cheruiyot will gauge his strength in the men’s 10km battle alongside 2010 Commonwealth Games 1,500m champion Silas Kiplagat.

Former champions Alice Aprot and Celliphine Chespol are back to wrestle the women’s title from Loice Chemining at the Prisons event.

Aprot, the 2017 World Cross Country silver medalist and also holds the 2016 national and Africa cross country titles, claimed a hat-trick of titles when winning from 2015 to 2017 while Chespol won the 2018 and 2019 events.