The 2018 Commonwealth Games 20km walk race bronze medalist Samuel Gathimba insists there is a lot to be done in the discipline even though he feels the country is on the right track.
Gathimba, a three-time African champion, is pleading with Athletics Kenya to allocate more resources, both financial and infrastructural, to support the development of race walking in the country.
The 35-year-old, speaking exclusively to the Star on Friday, lamented that, unlike other disciplines that enjoy a lion's share of support, race walking often falls by the wayside, struggling to garner the necessary attention.
"Walk has come a long way. Before I sprouted into the limelight, Kenyans didn't know about the race but now I am thrilled we have captured the attention and reserved a followership. We are on the right track but more needs to be done — walk needs to be given attention like other races," said Gathimba.
The four-time national champion highlighted the importance of providing specialised coaching, training facilities, and equipment for race walkers.
"Unlike in other races, we do not have many walk race competitions on the Athletics Kenya calendar of events and this affects us negatively since all we do is train without gauging ourselves," he said.
"AK needs to arrange trips for walkers to other countries for camping and also register us in competitions. It is through these competitions that we will learn our progress and also better ourselves."
"In Kenya, we also lack enough World Athletics-approved judges. Therefore, even if walkers meet the standard time they cannot compete at the world championships and the Olympics unless there is an international judge to assess. AK need to invite these judges to the country during national championships and trials," he added.
He noted that for the continuity of walkers, talent-spotting programmes should be initiated to capture and nurture the young walkers whose dreams die after high school.
The All-African Games silver medalist will be Kenya's sole representative in the men's category at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary later this month. He punched his tickets to the Hungarian capital by the virtual of meeting the standard time of 1:20:10.
He clocked 1:19:25 at the 2021 World Championships in Oregon to finish fourth.
Gathimba said his target in Budapest is to lower his personal best time of 1:18:23 in his quest to qualify for next year's Paris Olympics (also set at 1:20:10).
"I learnt a couple of strategies from my first World Championships in Oregon and I now am aware of the kind of competition to expect. I have had enough training and I feel ready for the challenge. Last time I missed the podium by an inch. The target is to break into the top three," said the African record holder.
"I will not have a compatriot to work with so I will use my competitors as my pacers but will be keen not to repeat the mistake I did in Oregon. I relaxed and slowed when I saw the finish and that was a huge blunder, someone got past me and I missed out on a medal," said the Kenya Defence Forces walker.
Kenya will have Emily Ngii in the women's category and Gathimba is optimistic she too will be on the podium, adding that the championships offer an opportunity for them to prove that walk can also bring glory to the country.
"We have trained with Emily and she is a good walker. She will bag a medal for us. We want to prove a point so that walk can get the attention it deserves," he added.
"I have been training my body to adapt to high altitude weather so as to adapt easily while in Budapest. We travel some few days before the race day and that offers time to acclimatise," he concluded, urging young athletes to embrace walk race as a career like any other track and field event.