• Athletics Kenya Youth Sub Committee chairman and development director Barnaba Korir said they intend to select 31 athletes for the regional showpiece which will run from March 14 to 17.
Image: ANGWENYI GICHANA
Athletics Kenya will use the 2nd track and field weekend meeting at Nyayo National Stadium to select Team Kenya for the East Africa under18/20 championships to be held in Dar Es Salaam next month.
Athletics Kenya Youth Sub Committee chairman and development director Barnaba Korir said they intend to select 31 athletes for the regional showpiece which will run from March 14 to 17.
Kenya will field eight athletes in the women’s under 20 and the same number in the men’s category.
In the under 18 category, Kenya will send a contingent of eight women and men athletes. Kenya will mainly field athletes in sprints and middle distance races.
Image: ANGWENYI GICHANA
Most of the athletes who participated at the AK sprints, middle distance and throws build up in Mumias and 1st AK weekend meeting in Kisumu have registered for the two day event at Nyayo which has attracted over 1, 000 athletes.
National youth coach Robert Ngisirei said they are taking more sprinters and middle distance athletes to Tanzania to give them exposure.
“We don’t have a big problem in long distance. We want to give sprinters and middle distance runners international exposure at a young age,” said the coach. He asked the participating athletes to carry their birth certificates.
Among the athletes who will be seeking to represent Kenya for the first time is 16-year-old sprint prodigy Selpha Ajiambo. Ajiambo, a Kenya Academy of Sports scholar at Nang’ina Boarding Primary School in Busia County, broke her primary schools national record in Mumias and Kisumu.
She will further seek to lower her 12.5 record as she competes on tartan track for first time.
National Secondary Schools 400m champion Nyanchoka Machoka will also be looking to book a slot in Team Kenya.
She participated as a guest at the Kenya Technical Training Institutes Lake Region championships at Gusii Stadium where she won the 400m and led her team to victory in 4x400m relay.
“I came here to run on artificial turf as part of the preparations for the weekend meet at Nyayo. I’m hoping to perform well and qualify for the Dar es Salaam event,” said the Form Three student at St Peter’s Keberesi in Kisii County.