NAIROBI, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's team to the Africa Cross Country Championships will remain in a residential training camp despite the postponement of the event that had been slated for March 6-7 in Lome, Togo due to the global pandemic.

The Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) on Wednesday issued a statement postponing the event to a later date on request from Togo citing the prevailing COVID-19 situation in the West African country.

"We received the communication from the CAA and we do not have a clear date on when the event will be held and whether Togo will still host it. In the next few days, we should have a clear decision from CAA," Athletics Kenya (AK) president Jackson Tuwei said in a statement issued on Thursday evening.

"At the moment, most of the African countries have already selected their teams for the event and they are already in camp. So, our team will continue training at the Kigari Teachers Training Camp, as we await final communication," he added.

The federation chief noted that other countries were on standby to host the winter event should Togo not be in a position to succeed, but did not affirm whether Kenya was one of them.

"You see we have to salvage the Championships because Cross Country is such an important race for athletes. Being an Olympic year, there is a need to give the athletes opportunities to compete as much as possible," Tuwei underscored.

Kenya hosted the 2007 World Cross in the coastal city of Mombasa.

The country's team of 42 athletes that was selected at the Feb. 27 National Cross Country Championships was kitted on Thursday. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)