Kisumu residents and its environs have been beseeched to turn up in their numbers for this weekend's Athletics Kenya Track and Field Weekend Meeting at Moi Stadium.
AK Nyanza North chair Joseph Ochieng said a lot of entertainment awaits the lakeside city as the who-is-who in athletics congregates for the second leg of the series.
While acknowledging that Kisumu — and a larger part of Nyanza — is a football-mad region, Ochieng noted there is every reason for as many residents as possible to throng the venue.
"It is true that many of Kisumu residents are fans of football. However, we also have some of the most promising sprinters. They may not be known by the public but we already know them. We would like for the residents to come and support these athletes as well as all the other big names who will be in attendance," Ochieng said.
The two-day competition was initially scheduled for Kenyatta Stadium but Ochieng says they have opted for Moi Stadium.
Ochieng is optimistic the fact that the venue is situated next to the busy Kachok market will work to their advantage as far as fan attendance is concerned.
"Of course, the stadium is located next to the market, which is always busy. This will actually convenience us as the people around will be curious to see what's happening in the stadium. We welcome them all and hope this region will come to embrace athletics as more of such competitions are held here," he said.
Regarding the preparations, Ochieng says they are putting the finishing touches, including marking of the field as well as the track.
"We had to wait a little bit because there was a possibility of rains, which would have undone our work. Nonetheless, once we finish up, we will release the programme for the event," he said.
The first leg of the series held a fortnight ago, attracted a record number of participants and Ochieng expects the same to be replicated in Kisumu.
However, he said they are ready for the massive turnout and will factor in the same when they develop the programme.
"In Nairobi, it was unexpected that a record number of athletes would show up. When we develop the programme, we will see how to lump most of the races on the first day so that the ultimate day only consists of the finals. In the future, as more athletes start to register for the track and field series, we may have to extend it to three days," he said.
Ochieng added: "Usually, the season begins on a slow note. However, this time, they have taken this series seriously especially with the World Championship, Commonwealth Games and other major events insight. Covid-19 made it hard for many athletes to compete and now they are hungry for competition."
