Budding javelin thrower Meshack Kipkogei will be hoping to secure a chance to compete at the World Under-20 Championships when he lines up at the Central Rift Athletics Kenya pre-trials Championships set for Saturday at the Kapsabet ASK ground.
The 18-year-old athlete from Nandi County is expected to face off with throwers from Uasin Gishu and Baringo counties at the pre-trials to book a slot for national trials to be staged at the Kasarani Stadium, the venue for World Under-20 Championships set for between August 17th and 22nd.
Inspired by former world javelin champion Julius Yego, Kipkogei, a Form Two student at ACK St. Thomas Secondary School, Kapchumba, is optimistic he has what it takes to represent the country at the junior event, where Kenya holds the overall title after the last event held in Tampere, Finland.
“I want to win a medal for Kenya at the World Under 20 Championships because I have what it takes. I have confidence that given a chance, I can win a medal,” said Kipkogei.
He added that when he met Yego, they had a discussion and he encouraged him to train well, work hard and avoid the use of banned substances to succeed in his career.
“(Julius) Yego is a good man and he guided me well. He also gave me tips on how to manage myself for prosperity. The less than 30 minutes I was with Yego, I gained much knowledge that will propel my career,” said Kipkogei.
Athletics Kenya (AK) youth and development chairman, Barnabas Korir, said they want to use the regional events as a build-up for the national trials in a bid to pick the best team for World Under-20 Championships.
“This is an opportunity for our Kenyan talents to be showcased at different levels. We started in Machakos and heading to central rift, we hope to get the best,” said Korir.
Kipkogei said he has the personal best of 62m which he posted during the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) Rift Valley region and hopes to improve on it if he gets a javelin coach to sharpen up his skills.
“Last year, during the schools county championships, I managed to throw 58m and I had qualified for the regionals but the sporting events Covid-19 pandemic hit the globe and the event was postponed,” added Kipkogei.
His school principal David Tarno, who acts as his coach, has been encouraging him to take up sports seriously.
