Praying for Team Kenya success at World Under-20 Championships

As an athletics enthusiast, nothing beats a good morning text on your phone notifying you about Kenya winning gold at an international competition.

This was the case for me – and I presume for many other Kenyans – when Andrew Kiptoo Alamisi won the country’s first gold at the World Under-20 Championships in the men’s 5,000m, early Wednesday morning.

Winning gold on Day One of a major global competition such as this certainly portends good things for Team Kenya for the rest of the championships.

It is indeed the perfect way to start out our campaign in the same way that we intend to end it. The World Under-20s has been the breeding ground or the birthplace of many illustrious careers that have gone on to rule the world as far as their various disciplines are concerned.

World record holder for the women’s 10,000m, Beatrice Chebet – now the Olympics 5,000m and 10,000m champion – is a prime example of an athlete who has risen through the ranks from the age-grade competitions to becoming a world beater.

Likewise, the talents of Olympics 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi first came to the international fore at this age-grade tournament when he clocked a world under-20 record of 1:43.76 to win the men’s 800m in 2021.

Therefore, it is exciting to see Kiptoo and Co. staking their place at the World Under-20 Championships courtesy of their formidable performances.

Considering it is a mini-World Championships, competition is undoubtedly intense beginning from the qualification at the national level to the fight for medals.

Making it to such a grand stage is already an achievement and as such, all Team Kenya members – whether medallists or not – should be proud of how far they have come.

It is only the start of a journey to the top; there are many more international competitions to come, such as the World Championships and the Olympics.

Thus, the World Under-20 Championships is about getting the springboard to a future career in athletics – and a hugely successful one at that.

For those who have never been to such an international competition, this championships should transform their mindset and enhance their understanding of what it takes to compete at the highest levels.

It is also a chance to expose oneself to future opportunities to compete in invitational events, such as the Diamond League circuit and World Athletics Continental Tour Gold events.

All in all, we wish and pray for the success of the juniors in Lima – our future Faith Kipyegons, Eliud Kipchoges, Beatrice Chebets, Kipchoge Keinos et al.