Yesteryear stars seek fairytale comeback
Athletics
By
Denis Okeyo
| Feb 15, 2018
Comeback tales will no doubt spice up Athletics Kenya Commonwealth Games trials at Kasarani Stadium on Saturday.
AK will pick 65 athletes -36 men and 29 women -to the 21st Club games that run in Gold Coast, Australia, on April 4-15.
Janeth Jepkosgei, the 2007 world 800m champion, will lead a legion of returnees alongside Olympian Mike Mokamba.
Jepkosgei, the 2006 Commonwealth Games champion, will stage her return from maternity.
The 35-year-old runner, who started her athletics career while a pupil at Kapsombeiwo Primary School and then proceeded to Sing’ore Girls in Elgeyo Marakwet County, will be up against Olympic bronze medallist Margaret Nyairera and Emily Cherotich in the two-lap race. Anet Mwanzi is another 800m star expected back from injury in the trials.
Former national 100m champions Eunice Kadogo of Kenya Police Service resumes from maternity while Millicent Ndoro returns after knee injury ruled her out last season.
Nicholas Bett, the 2015 world 400m hurdles champion, will be back to action after injury denied him chance to compete at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in London last year.
Former national 100m champion Stephen Baraza of Kenya Prisons Service, who last donned national colours at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, is taking a second stab at the club games as he takes on reigning champion Mark Otieno, Emmanuel Letukunye of KDF and Pius Muia in 100m.
Solomon Buoga and Mike Mokamba, members of Glasgow Commonwealth Games squad, long for team spots after injury kept them out of action in the last two seasons.
Former national champion Mike Mokamba is keen to stage a strong comeback after picking hamstring injury before competition at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
“I experienced a difficult 2017 season. I went out of action. I’m glad the injury has healed,” said Mokamba.