•Simiu believes he is more than capable of bringing the Commonwealth title back home
•This weekend's national trials will be held at Moi Stadium, Kasarani
•Also gunning for a place in Birmingham is 400m hurdler Wiseman Were
Image: ERICK BARASA
World Indoor 3000m finalist Daniel Simiu says he will be going for nothing short of one of the three places in the men's 5000m at the national trials for the Commonwealth Games.
The trials are set for Moi Stadium, Kasarani next month, where a team will be selected to represent the country at the quadrennial games set for July 28-August 8 in Birmingham, England.
Kenya last enjoyed a Commonwealth gold in the men's 5000m in 2014 courtesy of Caleb Mwangangi and lost out the last time round to Joshua Cheptegei as Edward Zakayo took bronze.
As he prepares for battle, Simiu is optimistic of making the team and bringing back the Commonwealth title from the Ugandans.
"My main focus is to bring back the elusive men's title from Birmingham. In every race, the objective is to win. I want to make it to Birmingham and then my ultimate target, the World Championship in Oregon as well as battle the likes of Cheptegei," the Valencia Ibercaja 10km champion said.
It will be a crowded field for the 12-and-a-half-lap race in which many runners have unfinished business. Simiu's last competition was at the same stadium almost a fortnight ago when he finished third in the men's 5000m at the Kip Keino Classic.
Jacob Krop timed 13:12.19 to win the race as Daniel Mateiko (13:13.45)and Simiu (13:14.51) finished second and third respectively.
Both Krop and Mateiko will be in contention for a place on the plane to Birmingham as will Zakayo, Michael Kibet, Emmanuel Kiprop, Ismael Kurui and Charles Rotich all of who pose a credible threat on the track.
At the end of the day, however, Simiu believes they have to work together to reclaim the country's dominance in 5000m.
"When it's time for Team Kenya, we need to see one another as teammates and not competitors. We need to work together as our neighbours Uganda and Ethiopia usually do so that one of us can win the top prize," he said.
Coming so soon after the World Championship in Oregon (July 15-24), there had been doubts as to whether many Kenyan athletes would manage to compete in the Club Games as well.
However, most have so far expressed a willingness to run in Oregon and Birmingham considering the lengthy period without competition due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Similarly, after earning a ticket to don the Team Kenya singlet at the Senior Africa Championships in Mauritius, Wiseman Were is now focused on sealing a place in Birmingham.
The Kenya Defence Force officer will be in action in the men's 400m hurdles where he will be battling against familiar foes in the form of William Mbevi, Kipkorir Rotich, and Moitalel Mpoke and Vincent Kosgei, among others.
Despite his win in the same race at Kip Keino Classic, Were is cognisant of the weak points he needs to fix ahead of this weekend's trials as well as other upcoming assignments.
"The speed is there but the only challenge is clearing the hurdles. Once I go back to training and sort that out then I'll be good to go. Kip Keino gave me the chance to test myself and now the focus is on upcoming competitions and improving with each and every day," Were said.