Kenya's Olympic champions David Rudisha and Ezekiel Kemboi will lead the star-studded Kenyan team for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and subsequent Marrakech Africa Athletics Championships following the conclusion of the selection event in Nairobi on Saturday.

Both were granted wildcard selection by Athletics Kenya after being permitted to skip the trials. Rudisha will compete at the New York Grand Prix IAAF Diamond League meeting on June 14 while Kemboi, who failed to finish in Rome on Thursday, need time to be back in form.

World champions Milcah Chemos and Eunice Sum will join Commonwealth crown holders from the last edition in Delhi, India in 2010, Mark Mutai (men's 400m) and John Ekiru Kilai (men's marathon) to take part in the Games.

Among other luminaries in the squad include Moscow World Championships medallists, Mercy Cherono Hellen Obiri and Lydia Chepkirui, former Commonwealth titleholder Janeth Jepkosgei and two-time World junior champion Faith Chepn'getich.

Other prominent runners who gained the selector's favor for the wildcard after failing to impress at the three-day National Championships cum Trials include world junior record holder Isaiah Kiplangat Koech and Chepkirui.

Beijing 2008 Olympics champion and two-time world champion Asbel Kiprop declined to take his wildcard after surprisingly pull out of the men's 1500m.

"My body was tired and after the bell, I felt a slight strain in my left calf and decided not to risk further damage. I'm disappointed at not getting the chance to run for my country but there are other challenges ahead," the lanky 24 year-old said.

Men's javelin star Julius Yego and women's hammer local sensation Linda Oseso also made the squad.

Athletics Kenya (AK) vice president in charge of competitions, David Okeyo, said the squad was not final with further changes to be made before the team reports for camp.

"We raised the bar in Delhi and we want to defend our position and we had to select the best team. Besides the Trials, our selectors also considered those athletes who were not here and made the decision to have them in the team based on their form," he added.

The National Olympics Committee-Kenya and their AK counterparts will discuss on the training program for the squad before the team reports to camp.

Athletes will be given the choice to run either in Glasgow or Marrakech with the added option of running both as top Kenyan stars target slots in Africa's team for the IAAF Intercontinental Cup that will run in the same Moroccan city a week after the continental showdown. Endi

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