Athletics Kenya and the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) are headed on a collision course ahead of the national Under-18 and U-20 trials next month
KSSSA regions will do their Term One games, including athletics between March 18 and 23 while the national trials will run between March 20 and 22. This means secondary school students will have to make a choice to either attend the national trials or the regional championships.
The national trials will be used to select athletes to represent the country during the third edition of the Confederation of Africa Athletics Under -18 and the 14th U-20 championships to be held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast between April 13 and 20. Athletics Kenya (AK) and some schools want the regionals pushed back by a week to allow the students participate in both events.
“We have written to the ministry and we are working on a formula to allow primary and secondary school students to take part in both events. Communication will be made to schools by Wednesday (today),” said AK’s youth committee chairman Barnabas Korir. “We want to have a program that will suit both parties and there is no cause for alarm because we have a good working relationship with KSSSA.”
However, yesterday, Nyanza Secondary Schools Sports Association secretary Tom Odhiambo maintained that the schools championships will be held between March 18 and 23 at Homa Bay School as earlier scheduled.
“All regions including Nyanza will hold their championships as earlier scheduled. We are in Nairobi for a meeting and we have agreed that regionals be used to select the best athletes for the national team,” Odhiambo said. However, reports indicate that some regions are keen to have their games a week before the national trials. In January, AK President Jackson Tuwei wrote to the Ministry of Education requesting regions to hold their games before the trials and the ministry agreed.
A letter signed by P.S Khaemba for the Principal Secretary, said having the regional before the national trials will facilitate preparations, selection and presentation of the athletes for national trials in good time.
Mogonga High School principal Haron Onchong’a said he will present 20 athletes for the trials. He played down the absence of World Under-18 silver medallist Mary Moraa, who completed her studies last year.