Triumphant Kenyan para-athletes jet back home
Members of the Kenya Paralympics team (from left to right): Joseph Kamau, James Onyikwa, Felix Kipruto, Bernard Korir and Mary Waithera pose with their medals at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on March 22, 2021 when the team arrived from Tunis.
What you need to know:
- Erick Sang scooped silver in the T11, 5000m. Ndungu said that they will report to camp in two weeks’ time for the Paris World Para-Athletics Grand Prix slated for April 30 to May 9.
- The other five athletes who had qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics are Samuel Muchai (T11, 5000m and 1500m), Felix Kipruto (T46, 1500m), Rodgers Kiprop (T11, 5000m and 1500m), James Magerer (F57) and Syvia Aliero (F44).
Kenya National Paralympics officials Monday exuded confidence that they will meet their target to have more than 20 para-athletes feature in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics planned for this summer.
This is after six more para-athletes qualified for the games by starring in the Tunis World Para-Athletics Grand Prix which came to an end on Saturday.
A total of 11 Kenyan Paralympians have since qualified for the Tokyo games.
They six, who booked a ticket for the prestigious event, after shining in the Tunis’s qualifier are; Wilson Bii (T11,5000m and 1500m), John Lokedi (T13,5000m), Eric Sang (T11,5000m), Mary Waithera (T11,1500m), Nancy Chelagat (T11,1500m) and Nelly Nasimiyu (T12,1500m).
“We have been able to compete in five qualifiers. Seven athletes have qualified for the Paralympics and since we have the Paris qualifiers in April and May, hopefully we can meet our target (to have more than 20 athletes qualify) for the games,” said team manager Kenneth Ndungi at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport when they returned from the championships on Monday.
“The performance was good. I am confident that more athletes will qualify if the government supports us in the remaining qualifiers like they have done before," said Beatrice Langat, one of the team's coaches.
The Tunis World Para-Athletics Grand Prix attracted 55 countries, with Kenya emerging 17th thanks to 16 medals (two gold, six silver and eight bronze).
Kenya Paralympics team members Wilson Bii (left) and John Lokedi display their gold medals at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on March 22, 2021 when the team arrived from Tunis.
Bii, 32, scooped a gold medal in the T11 5000m after timing 15 minutes and 40 seconds.
He also won silver in the 1500m of the same category after clocking 4:17, while Lokedi won Kenya’s second gold medal of the competition after timing 15:03 in the T12 5000m.
The Tokyo 2020 Paralympics qualifying time in the T11 5000m is 16:50, while that of T11, 1500m is 4:30. For the T12, 5000m, the qualifying time was 15:30.
It will be the third time that Bii is featuring in the Paralympics after competing in the 2012 and 2016 events held in United Kingdom and Brazil respectively.
Having bagged bronze in the T11, 5000m in Brazil, Bii exuded confidence that he will win gold medal in both races at the Tokyo games.
Kenya Paralympics team member Nelly Nasimiyu (right) displays her medals flanked with her guide Eric Kirui at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on March 22nd 2021 when the team arrived from Tunis.
“The climate was not that good but I gave my best and performed well in the two races. I thank the government for the support they have accorded us and now my focus is to work hard for the upcoming Paris competition,” said Bii, whose athletics journey begun in 2009 in Narok.
“My target is to win gold medal in the two races at the Paralympics because now I believe it is possible going by how I have trained.”
Waithera and Chelagat won silver in the in the T11, 1500m and T11 400m respetively, as Nasimiyu settled for bronze in T12, 1500m.
Erick Sang scooped silver in the T11, 5000m. Ndungu said that they will report to camp in two weeks’ time for the Paris World Para-Athletics Grand Prix slated for April 30 to May 9.
The other five athletes who had qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics are Samuel Muchai (T11, 5000m and 1500m), Felix Kipruto (T46, 1500m), Rodgers Kiprop (T11, 5000m and 1500m), James Magerer (F57) and Syvia Aliero (F44).
