World U-20 pre-trials head to Central Rift
Gladys Mumbe (right) powers her way to victory in the 200m heats during the Athletics Kenya Southern Region Track and Field Athletics Under-20 pre-trials at Machakos Boys High School on May 8, 2021.
What you need to know:
- Athletics Kenya (AK) Central Rift secretary general Kennedy Tanui disclosed that close to 200 junior athletes drawn from three camps and schools are expected at the one-day event
- Among the juniors for the event is the reigning East Africa Secondary Schools 800m and 400m champion Nelly Jepchirchir
- The national trials for the world junior event will be held July 1 to 2 at the Nyayo National Stadium
The pre-trials for the World Athletics Under-20 Championships head to Central Rift for the event that will be held on Saturday at Eliud Kipchoge Annex Stadium, Kapsabet.
Athletics Kenya (AK) Central Rift secretary general Kennedy Tanui disclosed that close to 200 junior athletes drawn from three camps and schools are expected at the one-day event.
The camps Kapchemoiywo and Kapkoimur in Nandi and Torongo in Baringo will produce 50 athletes each while the rest will come from schools within Central Rift.
Among the juniors for the event is the reigning East Africa Secondary Schools 800m and 400m champion Nelly Jepchirchir.
Also in action will be Faith Kipsang, who holds four titles from East Africa Secondary Schools Championships- long jump, triple jump, high jump and 100m.
The World Athletics Under-20 Championships will take place August 17 to 22 at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.
The national trials for the world junior event will be held July 1 to 2 at the Nyayo National Stadium.
“We really need to prepare our juniors for the world event but the most interesting thing is that talent crops up any time hence we must be alert,” said Tanui adding that the competition will feature all the events save for pole-vault.
Central Rift will be the second region to hold pre-trials after AK Southern two weeks ago in Machakos where 160 juniors competed.
AK director of youth and development Barnaba Korir disclosed that the pre-trials are geared towards keeping the juniors preoccupied ahead of the trials.
“We are also on the look out for new talent too since a month is not enough to groom an upcoming talent,” said Korir adding a good number of their junior athletes graduated to senior ranks after the event was postponed from last due to Covid-19 pandemic.
"More so, we haven't had school competitions and many weekend meetings to gauge these juniors," explained Korir.
From Central Rift, the pre-trials will head to Western, South Rift, Nyanza South, Nyanza North and Nairobi with Central hosting the last event on June 12.
National trials to select Team Kenya for the Tokyo Olympics on June 17 to 19 at Kasarani will be used as a dress rehearsal for the world junior competition.
The Olympic trials were initially scheduled for the Kipchoge Keino Stadium but later moved to Kasarani.
