S. Africa’s Mokoka snatch gold from Kenya’s Kimitei

Wilfred Kimitei when he won the men’s 10,000m finals of Kenya Prisons Service Athletics Championship in May. [PHOTO:FILE/STANDARD]

South Africa pulled a fast one on Kenya, sneaking away with men’s 10,000m crown at the 20th Africa Senior Athletics Championships at King’s Park Stadium in Durban, South Africa, on Wednesday night.

Homeboy Stephen Mokoka gave the hosts a night to remember when he narrowly beat Wilfred Kimitei in the final stretch to win in 28:03.0, way below the world record mark of 26:17.5 set by Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele in 2005.

But Kimitei, who won First Lady Half Marathon in March and then went ahead to chalk up 10,000m victory during National Athletics Championships track and field meeting last month, settled for silver in 28:03.2.

Lesotho’s Namakwe Nkhasi (28:06.3), Yimer Jemal Mekonnen (28:08.9) and Haftu Fikadu Tsadik (28:09.2) of Ethiopia returned third, fourth and fifth as Stephen Arita (28:09.7), who was a member of the Africa Cross Country squad to Cameroon, came seventh.

Tanzania’s Isail Gallet (28:13.5) and Abraham Habte (28:18.2) of Eritrea sealed top eight spots.

Yobes Ondieki, a former world record holder at 26:58.38, said the dynamics of the sport has changed and Kenyans need to devise new tactics to reclaim the 10,000m global glory and perhaps reclaim Olympic 10,000m title last won by Naftali Temu in Mexico City in 1968.

“The standards of our sport have gone down. For an athlete to run under 28 minutes, he must plan well from training to the competition. It takes time,” said Ondieki.

Boaz Kiprugut started off his bid –perhaps to emulate Kenya’s first Olympic medalist Kiprugut Chumo – when he won his heat in 1:48.6 ahead of Ghana’s Sampson Laari (1:48.8) and South Africa’s Kabelo Mohlosi (1:49.9).

Zimbabwe’s Nyasha Mutsetse (1:50.3), Fathi Adam (1:53.8) of Sudan and Abraham Matet (1:54.8) of South Sudan bid the continental showpiece a bye after failing to qualify to the next round.

Botswana’s Africa 400m champion Isaac Makwala was too good for former World Youth silver medalist Alphas Kishoyian in the one-lap race. Makwala won in 46.1, Kishoyian (46.6), Congo’s Gilles Antonny Afoumba (47.1) and Zimbabwe’s Nigel Tom (47.5) sailed into the semi-finals.

South Africa’s Thapelo Phora (47.6), Swaziland’s Louis Mashaba (47.9) and Pius Adome (49.4) of Uganda did not qualify.

In another heat, Botswana’s Baboloki Thebe (46.0) outfoxed Chidi Okezie (46.3) of Nigeria, Kenya’s Raymond Kibet (46.8) and Leonard Opiny (47.1) to all set date in the semi-finals.

Botswana’s Karabo Sibanda (46.0) led Sadam Koumi (46.0) of Sudan, Kenya’s Stanley Kieti (46.6) and Basilius Karupu (48.9) in qualifying into the semi-finals.

Mark Otieno emerged the first Kenyan to be shown the door on the first day in 100m as he wound up sixth in 10.49 seconds.

Lesotho’s Mosito Lehata (10.2) and Gerald Phiri (10.24) of Zambia qualified in heat two as homeboy Gift Leotlela (10.29), Adama Jammeh (10.29) of Gambia and Johs Swaray (10.31) of Senegal quit the Africa Championships.