Team Kenya lands in Nigeria ready to conquer Africa at CAA U18/20 championships

Part of the Team Kenya athletes at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport before they departed for Nigeria / ANGWENYI GICHANA

A buoyant Team Kenya for the Africa Under-18 and Under-20 Combined Athletics Championships landed in Nigeria on Tuesday ahead of the five-day event, which kicks off today.

The team left in two groups for the third edition of the CAA African U18/U20 Combined Athletics Championships. The first group landed in Nigeria on Monday night, and the second on Tuesday afternoon. The championship will be held at Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State in Nigeria, from today to Sunday.

 A total of 47 athletes will represent the country. Athletics Kenya  (AK) Youth Committee Secretary Joseph Ilovi, who travelled with the second batch, said he was confident the team would perform well in Nigeria.  “I’m confident the team will perform better than at the last event in Ndola, Zambia. Our target is to continue with our dominance in athletics,” he said after arrival in Lagos, Nigeria.

Faith Onserio, who will represent Kenya in the 400m, said: “We have had a good training camp at Kasarani and we are looking forward to a great performance in Nigeria.”

“I’m targeting a podium finish at the event,” added the form four student at Riooga Secondary School in Nyamira County. 

On Sunday, the athletes were kitted at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, by AK Youth Committee chairman Barnaba Korir. The team is captained by sprinter Clinton Aluvi and middle-distance runner Joyline Jepkemoi.

 Aluvi will represent the country in the 100m and 200m events, while Jepkemoi will participate in the 1500m event. Jepkemoi, the 2023 Africa Under-18 1,500m silver medalist, said the team is highly motivated and ready to conquer the continent. 

Aluvi and Brian Okoth will get their campaign underway today when they take part in the U20 men’s 100m heats. Anastasia Langat, Mercy Koskey, and Sheila Chepng’eno will lead Kenya’s hunt for medals in the 3000m final.

 Carren Serem and Millicent Jepkonga will be in action in the women’s 1500m U-18 category final, while  Lawi Ng’etich and Ezekiel Kipkorir will lead the medal hunt in the men’s U-18 category race. Head Coach Robert Ngisirei said the team has fine-tuned its techniques and expressed confidence that they will return as champions.

 The squad also received words of encouragement from two-time African and Commonwealth 100m champion Ferdinand Omanyala. He urged the athletes to remain focused on both education and athletics.