Local juniors to run for Bahrain

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By Mutwiri Mutuota

Three junior runners whom Athletics Kenya (AK) charged were being poached by Bahrain will compete for the Gulf State at the Amman World Cross.

The Bahrain Athletics Association (BAA) named Isaac Kemboi Chelimo and Edwin Chebii Kimurer into their final squad for their 8km junior men’s team, while Gladys Cherotich was listed in the junior women’s 6km squad.

Ethiopian-born Tejitu Daba and Shitaye Eshete will compete alongside Cherotich in the junior women’s race.

Another Ethiopian-born athlete, Alemu Bekele will line-up with Kemboi and Chebii in the men’s 8km race at the 37th World Cross, IAAF Website reported.

At the beginning of the month, the junior runners said to have been plucked out of school to compete for their adopted nation saw AK accuse BAA of ‘modern slavery,’ berating the Gulf State for taking advantage of loopholes in regulations governing change of citizenship to ship out young athletes to their country.

The storm saw renowned coach, Boniface Tiren, whom AK claimed had facilitated the move to Bahrain by the runners, summoned to Riadha House to explain his case. "Nobody summoned me at AK. When they do, I will present myself," Tiren told FeverPitch on Saturday.