Preview: Buoyant Kenya team to dominate Africa Junior Athletics Championships
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E-mail Xinhua, August 28, 2013
Best young athletes from over 30 countries and regions will compete at the 11th Africa Junior Athletics championships, which start in Reduit city, Mauritius, on Thursday.
Giants Nigeria, South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya and Egypt are among the teams that will be taking part in the five-day championships, which winds up on Sunday in the Island nation in the Indian Ocean.
Kenya head coach Gregory Kilonzo, will be keen to reap maximum medals just days after the senior team dominated the middle and long distance races at the just concluded World Championships in Moscow.
"The team is well prepared and we are hopeful, it will be a success to Kenyan athletes. But you have to note that the changes in dates also affected the training pattern for some athletes. However, it will not affect Kenya alone, but all the participants," he said.
The Africa Junior Championships, served as the springing board for South Africa's controversial 800m runner Caster Semenya in 2009 in Bambous, Mauritius and many more will eye to hone their career in the event, which is eligible to athletes aged below 19 years.
Kenya will be entering a team of 22 with the first medals expected on Thursday as Festus Kiprono and John Koech parade in the boys' 3000m steeplechase.
Former World Youth 1,500m finalist Sheila Chepng'etich will be scouring Kenya's first medal in girls' competition over the flat 3,000m distance.
"I am sure Kenya will get its first gold in the games on the first day, and most probably in steeplechase."
"We also have Chepng' etich, who has developed into a fine athlete that will be battling it out in the 3,000m flat. But we will not be underrating the opposition. Ethiopia and Botswana have strong runners who will be keen to lock us out. It will be close race," said Kilonzo onTuesday night as the team jetted out to Mauritius.
The biannual showpiece returns to the Indian Ocean Island four years after it were staged in Bambous City in 2009. Bambous also held the 2006 senior Africa athletics Championships.
Kenya medal prospects will also be in Kiplagat Cherono and Vincent Tarus in long jump.
Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) Vice President David Okeyo, who is also an official of Athletics Kenya, travelled together with the team.
He said the huge interest from African countries is a clear indication, the continent is growing in the discipline.
"We had a very short notice to change this event, first from Kigali (Rwanda), to Libreville (Gabon) and then Pretoria (South Africa). But we have finally settled on Reduit and we are sure it will be a success," he said.
Originally the championships were supposed to be stage in June 27 to July 1. The next assignment on the continental front will be Africa Cross Country championships in Kampala, Uganda in March and the Africa Youth Championships in June in Dakar.
The Africa Junior Championships has attracted over 600 track and field athletes under 19 years.
Over 700 athletes from 28 countries took part in the championships in 2011 staged in Gaborone, Botswana. It featured 22 events for boys' and 22 events for girls'.
During the last championships in Gaborone in 2011, South Africa topped the medal table with 13 gold and silver medals.
Ethiopia and Egypt both won six events, while Kenya and Nigeria rounded out the top five. At least 17 nations were able to clinch a medal in the last championships.
Kenya Team: Boys - Kenneth Kirui (400m hurdles), Geoffrey Kiprotich (200m), Moses Bett (800m), Jonathan Kiprotich (800m), Kiplagat Cherono (long jump), Vincent Tarus (long jump), Mathew Kiptanui (1,500m), John Maina (1,500m), Alex Kiprotich (Javelin), Elvis Cheboi (10, 000m), Josephat Kiprop (10,000m), Moses Mukono (5,000m), Benard Kipkemboi (5,000m), John Koech (3,000m S/Chase) and Festus Kiprono (3,000m S/Chase). Girls - Agatha Jeruto (800m), Sheila Chepng'etich (3,000m), Miriam Muthoni (1,500m), Agnes Tirop (5,000m), Lina Cheruto (5,000m) and Marion Kibor (3,000m S/Chase).
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