Police ready to gun down rivals at nationals

Geoffrey kipsang Kamworor competes in 12km senior men race during the IAAF Permit/KCB National Cross Country Championship at Uhuru Gardens, Nairobi on 14-02-2014.PHOTO/DENNIS OKEYO Caption

As Athletics Kenya (AK) hosts the national athletics championship at the Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani tomorrow, the National Police Service is ready to flex its muscles.

Expecting tough competition from perennial rivals the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and the revamped Kenya Prisons and now counties, the Police has injected fresh blood ahead of the meet.

They include: Eglay Nalianya (800m) who was in amazing form at Police Championship last month, Mercy Chemutai (10,000m), Christopher Ngetich (400m/H), Richard Kiplagat (800m), freshly elevated junior Margaret Chelimo and James Kibet (5,000m).

Others are Nelly Chebet (1,500m), Fresha Mwangi (200m) and Elijah Manangoi (1,500m) who was part of the national team at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

The new faces will join a field of other established stars in the police ranks.

They include: Julius Yego (Javelin), 800m record holder David Rudisha, world 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop, world and Olympic 3000m steeplechase champion Ezekiel Kemboi and Commonwealth 5000m champion Mercy Cherono.

The Police have put up a good performance at the nationals and their head coach Nicholas Kilisio is confident the trend will continue.

“We have followed all the championships held in various regions across the country, the level of competition has gone a notch higher, but we are up for the challenge.

“The fact that the nationals will be very competitive is a good sign ahead of the national trials for both World Championships (August 22-30 in China) and the All Africa Games (September 3-19 in Congo),” Kilisio said.

“We have injected faces who are eager to make it big in the world of athletics and I am happy with the team,” he said.

World Cross Country champion Geoffrey Kamworor will lead his team in 5,000m while two-time world champion Asbel Kiprop will drop from his specialty to run 800m.

Eunice Sum, who has world lead time of 1:57.82 this season, will line-up alongside former champion Janeth Jepkosgei in the two-lap race for the Police.

Vivian Cheruiyot, who ran 31:13.29 in Brussels at the weekend, will continue with her come-back trail.