Kenya 10th as Games end in India

By Mutwiri Mutuota and Agencies

Kenya emerged 10th overall and second in Africa with six medals — three gold and a similar number of bronze — as the Commonwealth Youth Games ended in Pune, India.

All the gold medals were again won on the athletics track with Games records to boot.

The 3,000m steeplechase world junior champion, Jonathan Ndiku added the 1,500m Commonwealth Youth title 3:45.96, a Games’ record on the second day of action on Thursday.

Stacy Ndiwa ensured a 1,500m Kenyan double when she set a Games’ best of 4:20.16 for gold while the World junior 3,000m champion, Mercy Cherono proved peerless in her race for Kenya’s third top medal in Pune on Friday.

Cherono, also last year’s World Youth champion at the same distance lapped a few runners twice as she timed 9:06.01, a Games record.

David Mutinda (1:52.22) and Japheth Korir (14:11.39) won bronze in the boy’s 800m and 5,000m while light fly Eddie Ng’ang’a sealed the harvest with the third medal in boxing.

Hosts India ruled the medal charts with 76 medals (33 gold, 26 silver and 17 bronze) followed by Australia with 65 (24 gold, 19 silver and 22 bronze) with England (41, 18 gold, nine silver and 14 bronze) completing the top three performers at the third edition of the games.

South Africa, ranked fourth overall, was the top African country with 30 medals (seven gold,14 silver and nine bronze) while Uganda were placed 13th on the final table and third in Africa after winning a gold, three silvers and a bronze.