Kambundji and Blake among top stars set for Kip Keino Classic on May 31
Athletics
By
Dennis Okeyo
| May 15, 2025
A stellar lineup of global medalists is set to grace the Kip Keino Classic, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting scheduled for May 31 at Nairobi's Nyayo National Stadium.
World indoor champion Mujinga Kambundji of Switzerland, Jerome Blake of Canada, South Africa's raising star Bayanda Walaza, Liberian-American Joseph Fahnbulleh, Italian Filippo Tortu and Jamaican Alana Reid are some of world stars set to highlight the sixth edition of Kip Keino Classic.
The 32-year-old Swiss star Kambundji who won a bronze in 200m at the 2019 World Championships will be making her maiden appearance at Kip Keino Classic and will battle against Jamaican young star Reid, the 2024 World Under-20 100m champion and Liberian Mccoy Maia among others.
Kambundji won a thrilling 60m showdown to regain the 60m crown at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China in March and will hope to continue with her form in Nairobi meet.
Jamaican-born Canadian Blake signed up for the 100m event that continues to attract top global talent and will face off against homeboy Ferdinand Omanyala, who just led Kenya's relay 4x100m team in booking a ticket to the World Championships during the World Relays that ended in Guangzhou, China on Sunday.
Blake was part of the men's 4x100m relay team that won the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. It was the first time the Canadian men had won the event since 1996.
Blake and Omanyala will be joined by South African sensation Walaza, an Olympic relay silver medallist and double world junior champion.
Walaza who has since made a seamless transition to senior athletics has his sights firmly on global success and will be keen to show that in Nairobi on May 31.
Kenya's Mark Otieno will also be racing in the men's 100m alonhside Kennedy Lachan of Australia and America's Elijah Hall.
Fahnbulleh, the 2024 African 100m and 200m champion will line up in the men's 200m event.
The American-born Fahnbulleh was eligible to represent his birth country but has chosen the West African nation because of his heritage.
He will face off against Shaun Masangwanyi of South Africa, Canadian Duan Asamota among others.
This year's event will feature kids' athletic events for the first time.
Barnaba Korir, the director of the event, articulated the vision behind this inclusion.
"Our aim is to involve young children and provide them with an early introduction to the world of athletics," Korir said.
Previously, the Kip Keino Classic meet has hosted several global athletics icons, including Sha'Carri Richardson, Noah Lyles, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Letsile Tebogo (Botswana) and Yaroslava Mahuchikh.