Taita-Taveta governor calls for better results at nationals

TAITA-TAVETA SPORTS Taita-Taveta County Governor John Mruttu flagging off athletes who turned up for the county championship at Wundanyi Dawson Mwanyumba stadium on February 4, 2017. [PHOTO: RENSON MNYAMWEZI/STANDARD]

Lameck Mwakio won the senior men 10km race held at Wundanyi Dawson Mwanyumba stadium in Taita-Taveta County.

Mwakio clocked 29.37 minutes to beat 10 other runners to win the race graced by area Governor John Mruttu on Saturday.

Eric Kiptoo (29.37) and Wesly Korir (29.38) of Taita-Taveta University finished second and third.

In senior women 10km, Marcelina Shake beat 10 other runners to win the race in 45.35 minutes. Second position went to Agnes Wakie and Damarice Wanjala who clocked 47.44 and 47.46 respectively.

In junior men 8km race, Christopher Mghana beat 11 other athletes to win the race in 27.07 minutes. Second and third place went to Odran Maghanga and Gibran Mwang’ombe.

In Junior women race Janet Wali won the race in 22.40 minutes while second and third place went to Agnes Mwashighadi with 23.18 minutes and Ndunge Mbilo with 23.34 respectively.

The winners will represent the county in the regional championship to be held in Kwale County next Saturday.

Addressing the athletes, Mr Mruttu said the county had been successful in the regional athletics competition but performed poorly at the national level.

“We are always successful in the Coast region. We are recognised as a powerhouse in the region. The county has a team to beat,” said the governor.

Coast AK chairman Dimmy Kimoni Kisalu said the county won five trophies in regional championship in three consecutive years. The athletics boss said that they had introduced relays in this year’s regional championship for the senior men and women including junior men and women.

County Director of Sports Leonard Otieno urged the local community to take sports as a career to earn a living.

Kisalu and Otieno decried the poor performance of athletes at the national level. At the same time Mruttu announced that his administration would sponsor the County team to the regional and national level.

The governor disclosed that county players who would be selected to represent the region in national championship in Nairobi at a later date would be kept in a training camp to be sponsored by the county administration.

“We will keep the best athletes in a training camp to monitor their fitness because some of them come from poor families,” Mruttu told the athletes.

He said the training camp would enable the athletes to improve on their performance at the national level.

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