Former Africa Under 20 champion Dominic Ndigiti targets Paris Olympic qualification when he competes at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Antalya, Turkey on Sunday.
Ndigiti will participate in the newly-introduced race walk mixed relay marathon. He will team up with Africa championship bronze medallist Sylvia Kemboi.
Speaking to the Star before the team departed for Turkey on Thursday night, Ndigiti said: “I know it will be very competitive but I believe in myself and my teammate. We are working on a top 20 finish.”
“It is a dream for any athlete to represent his country at the Olympics. I have trained hard and now leave my fate to God.”
African Games champion Emily Ngii and silver medallist Samuel Gathimba will team up in the race walk mixed relay.
Teams of one man and one woman will complete the marathon distance in legs of 12.195km (man), 10km (woman), 10km (man) and 10km (woman).
The top 22 teams will qualify for the marathon race walk mixed relay at the Olympics in Paris. According to World Athletics, up to five of those first 22 teams can be a second team from the same country.
Team leader Joseph Ochieng was upbeat that Team Kenya will bag medals at the one-day event.
“As usual, we expect medals. The team camped in Nairobi for a one-week training and we are looking forward to a good performance,” said Ochieng', the Nyanza North Athletics Kenya chairman and World Athletics race walking judge.
Sadly, Ochieng' revealed the exclusion of Peter Theuri and Eric Shikuku since they had not undergone the mandatory anti-doping testing.
“We had to drop them because they had not undergone the required testing by the Anti Doping Agency of Kenya,” said Ochieng'.
Following the withdrawal of the two, world under 20 champion Heristone Wanyonyi and Dominic Mwenda will spearhead Kenya’s hunt for medals.
Africa under 20 bronze medallist Stephen Ndangili and Margaret Gati will be Kenya’s representatives in the 10km under 20 races.
The team has been training under the eyes of national race walking coach George Kariuki, who is part of Kenya’s entourage to Turkey. He is assisted by Benjamin Mbusya.
