The first Athletics Kenya (AK) track and field meet will now be held at Maseno University on Friday and Saturday.
AK Nyanza North chairman Joseph Ochieng confirmed the event has been moved from Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) in Bondo, Siaya County due to unavoidable circumstances.
It will be the first time Maseno is hosting the event which was previously been held at Moi Stadium in Kisumu. Currently though, Moi Stadium’s track is in a pathetic state.
“We were informed last week that JOOUST cannot host the even and decided to shop around for a new venue. I’m glad Maseno accepted to host the first AK weekend meeting. I want to apologise to athletes and officials for the last minute change of venue,” said Ochieng.
He said they have started working on the Maseno University main campus track and expect to it to be ready in time for the event.
“Maseno has a standard track but it has not been in use for long. We have started working on it and I’m confident it will be ready for the event,” he noted.
He said top athletes from Kenya Defence Forces, Police, Prisons and athletes from various camps are expected to grace the event.
“This year, we have two major events, the 2020 Olympics Games and World Under 20 Championships. This will be part of the training ahead of the Tokyo Olympics Trials,” Ochieng said.
Ochieng said Maseno University is more convenient and central for athletes travelling from various regions of the country.
The second meet will be staged at Kigari Teachers’ Training College in Embu on March 12-13 while the third will be staged at Mumias Sports Complex on April 2-3.
This will pave way to the regional athletics championships on May 15 while the national championships will be held at Nyayo Stadium from June 10-12.
