Second AK meeting starts in Kisii today

Kenyan 400m Mary Moraa kisses her silver medal during the IAAF World U18 Championships at Kasarani Stadium on Saturday 15/07/17.[Boniface Okendo,Standard]

The two-day second leg of the Athletics Kenya (AK) track and field contest begins today at Kisii University.

The event comes after the opening contest that featured only 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and field events in Kisumu two weeks ago.

World 5,000m champion Hellen Obiri, who was expected in the event, opted out of the event, saying she is not prepared.

The 27-year-old, who attended Ikionga Primary School in Kisii before joining Nairobi’s Riruta Central, said:

“I would have loved to compete in my home ground but unfortunately, I’m not in a good shape. I haven’t prepared enough for the track event. I have just started preparations for the cross country because I have one cross country meeting early January in Italy.”

That would not dampen the spirits of local fans as rising sprinter Mary Moraa, a student at the nearby Mongaga Secondary School, will be in action.

Moraa, christened Kisii Express for her brilliant run at the IAAF World Under-18 Athletics Championships in Nairobi in July, where she bagged silver in 400m, is a star to watch.

Olympian Maureen Jelegat leads a legion of athletes from Kenya Prisons Service to Kisii.

AK Director of Competitions Paul Mutwii and AK Nyanza South chairman, Peter Angwenyi, have called on athletes to turn up for the two-day event to test their form ahead of Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast Australia, in April.

“Unlike our first meeting, we will have all events,” said Mutwii.