Youthful athletes told to honour AK weekend meeting as build-up for global show

Athletics Kenya wants young athletes with an ambition of featuring in next year’s World Under-20 Championships to participate in ongoing track and field meetings.

The 2024 World U-20 Championships will be held in Lima, Peru from  August 26 to 31.

AK senior vice president Paul Mutwii, AK Youth and Development Committee treasurer Elizabeth Keitany, and AK Nyanza North chairman Joseph Ochieng were impressed by the huge turnout of junior athletes during the AK sprints, middle distance, and field events and 1st relay weekend meeting in Kisumu.

There are 42 camps across the country where athletes born between the year 2005-2008 are currently training for next year’s youth championships.

A total of 200 athletes drawn from Riooga Secondary in Nyamira, Keberesi (Kisii), Ebwali (Vihiga), Mumias Central Primary (Kakamega), Kiptere (Kericho), Sinonin (Baringo) and Sangoro Secondary (Kisumu) took part in the meeting on Friday.

“We want athletes currently in the camps to take part in weekend meetings and cross-country events to gauge themselves ahead of next year’s trials,” said Mutwii.

He added: “We want Kenya to continue with its dominance in athletics and that is why we have started early preparations.”

Keitany said AK is planning to have inter-camp competitions in April next year before the national U-20 trials.

“I’m encouraged by the fact that most of these camps are adhering to age requirements. This time round, we are very strict on this and all camp coordinators must ensure the athletes in camp are within the required age bracket,” she added.

She earlier visited Sangoro camp in Kisumu which focuses on sprinters and throwers.

“This region of Nyanza North has produced renowned sprinters and I’m confident more will emerge from this group,” noted Keitany.

She asked camp coordinators to ensure the athletes were well-fed and trained. “We want to thank Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba and AK for having these camps in place. The athletes in the camps are our future,” said Keitany.

Rooga Secondary School camp coordinator and principal Haron Onchong’a said: “We currently have 107 athletes in our camp. We want to have at least 10 in Team Kenya for WU20 in Peru. I only brought most of the prospects here.”

Onchong’a was previously at Mogonga PAG, which produced several top athletes among them World 800m champion Mary Moraa.