By Mutwiri Mutuota
All the 16 affiliates of Athletics Kenya (AK) have submitted their teams for IAAF Permit/National Athletics Championships that start tomorrow at Nyayo National Stadium.
The showdown that concludes on Saturday will also double up as the selection event for the July 28 to August 1 African Senior Athletics Championships which will be staged at the same venue.
"All the teams beat Monday’s 4pm deadline and we will release the Start List tomorrow at a media briefing where final arrangements for the National Championships will be disclosed," AK Public Relations Officer Peter Angwenyi told FeverPitch yesterday.
Upon selection, Kenya’s charges for the continental event will report for a month-long residential training before lining up to represent the country.
"We decided not to hold separate Trials to give our coaches more time to prepare the team for Nairobi 2010. We want to give Kenyans a good return as hosts, unlike South Africa who prepared well for the football World Cup but failed to do likewise to their team," AK boss, Isaiah Kiplagat said.
EASTERN BRANCH TEAM
In a related development, US-based Anderson Mureta, Kenya’s biggest hope in the men’s 400m having clocked 44.5 this season, will lead AK Eastern Branch team at the Nationals. The branch has selected 25 runners and five officials who arrived in Nairobi yesterday to prepare to compete for slots.
"I hope Mureta can run the same time at altitude and this would bring us a welcome medal in the sprints," Kiplagat said.
Meanwhile, 25 athletes from Coast province leave Mombasa today for the National Athletics Championships at Nyayo National Stadium set to start tomorrow till Saturday, adds Ernest Ndunda.
The Coast team was named after the Provincial Meeting at Mombasa Municipal Stadium. The team is coached by Sylvester Owino. During the Coast event, Taita District retained the overall title with 182 points after male athletes scored 68 points and their female counterparts bagged 114.
Mombasa was second with 146 points and Kwale third with 82. Lamu District settled for the fourth slot with 81 points and was followed by Malindi, Kilifi and Tana River who had 53, 39 and five points. Coast Provincial Director of Sports Alex Kabuto will head the team with Dina Onyango as team manager.
The team is made up of Erick Shikuku (Men’s Walk), Catherine Ndezema and Susan Mshai (1,500m women), Tobias Ombewa (Shot Put), David Makalla and Augustin Kirwa (1,500m men), Angelica Moke and Francisca Lugwe (200m women).
Others are Lucrenciah Nyambu, Doris Kyuvi (5,000m women), Solomon Buoga, Japheth Baya and Raphael Origa (200m men), Evans Ndege, Joel Rono and Carlos Irungu (800m men), Vera Chepngetich, Rose Ndamu and Loise Kawingu (800m women), Hussein Kambi (Javelin), Bakati Mwakulola and Teresia Wanjiru (100m women), Charles Ochieng’ and Bernard Kisilu (100m men).
