By James Waindi

"Let us meet in Stockholm next week." This was two-time 800m World Indoor champion Abubaker Kaki’s message to archrival and African champion David Rudisha after avoiding a head to head confrontation with the Kenyan at the 17th African Senior Athletics Championships in Nairobi.

"I don’t fear Rudisha. I just changed my mind on running the 800m in the last minute because I thought the altitude in Nairobi was not good for me that is why I was contemplating even not coming to Nairobi after the Paris meeting last week. I’m sure he will now retain the gold medal comfortably because I don’t see anyone who can beat him in the final.

"But I would like to face him at the DN Galan meet in Stockholm next Friday," said Kaki, who also won gold at the All Africa Games in Algeria three years ago.

He said: "Rudisha is a good runner but I don’t fear running against him and the media should know that. We all have our strategies and an athlete has to analyse a number of factors including weather and altitude before taking to the field. I want to be in sound shape when I run in Stockholm next Friday and the other remaining three meetings, London Grand Prix, Weltklasse Zurich and Memorial van Damme."

Kaki, who confirmed he would help his country in the 4x400m relay, which is not his speciality, said he was focusing on the Diamond League this season and the Commonwealth Games in India in October.

The 21-year-old athlete has had misfortunes in the last two seasons and finished eighth in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He tripped at the semi-finals of the World Championships last year.