Torongo Athletics Training Camp in Baringo county will send five athletes to the third leg of the Athletics Kenya (AK) cross-country series set for this Saturday in Sotik, Bomet County.
The five are Benson Musyon, Geoffrey Rono, Evans Kipkosgei, Festus Kiromoi and Evans Kurui. Musyon and Rono were placed sixth and eighth respectively in the opening leg in Machakos.
“These are fresh athletes who have graduated from the junior level to the senior category and I expect them to run well after showing good intentions in Machakos last month,” said Barnabas Kitilit who is in charge of the Torongo Camp.
He said he is in the process of raising the next generation of senior players and things are already looking up.
“Right now, I don’t have top-class senior athletes but I am in the process of raising a future generation. The current graduands are not world-class athletes but I am building the next generation,” he said.
The federation’s youth chairman Barnaba Korir wants junior athletes aspiring to compete at the World Cross Country Championships to honour the Sotik weekend meeting.
“We will use Sotik as a yardstick for junior probables because we want to commence the processing of their travel documents.
"All junior probables should have submitted their travel documents by December 2 for processing so that they are ready when Team Kenya is picked at the national trials."
"The Sotik cross country has an opening for those who don't have passports to acquire them and AK will assist in obtaining this document as long as they meet the qualification standards,” Korir was quoted as saying.
However, this has not gone down well with some coaches who believe some junior athletes may miss the opportunity since the majority of them are in school, sitting for their end-year examination.
“This time I will not take juniors to Sotik because many of them are in school, sitting for the end-year examination,” said Kitilit.
The Sotik event follows the opening legs in Machakos and Kapsokwony ahead of the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia in February next year.
