Kilonzo crowned javelin king as Wanza wins another gold

Sensational Boniface Kyalo Kilonzo is the new Africa’s institutions of higher learning javelin king.

The reigning East African champion threw 62.99m to win gold at the ongoing All Africa University Games in Nairobi yesterday.

The triple-Kenyan University Games winner (2019,2020 and 2022) was followed by Justus Kipkenda of Kisii University who threw 52.36m to clinch silver.

John Eigege of Nigeria’s Nnamdi Azikiwe University recorded 51.36m to win bronze.

“It was just an easy victory for me, I didn’t feel any pressure in the contest,” Kilonzo said.

Ahead of the event being held at the Kenyatta University, Kilonzo was taken through paces by a volunteer coach from Japan, Keisuke Nakajima, to up his game.

The Japanese helped him to improve on his posture and throwing technique in the discipline.

“This is the reason I opened an over 10m gap between me my next opponent, Kipkenda, who came second,” he underlined.

“I was training at Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi ahead of these games.”

The 24-year-old third year Business, Information and Technology student at Mount Kenya University says he used the competition to step up training for the forthcoming World Championships cum Commonwealth Games trials to be held in Nairobi on June 24.

Apart from his target of the World Championships and the Club Games, Kilonzo says he will embark on preparations for the World University Games slated for China next year.

He automatically qualified for the China showpiece by the virtue of winning in his category at the ongoing Games at KU.

In the next five years, Kilonzo wants to shatter the world javelin record that currently stands at 98m.

At the same time, Diana Wanza of Kenyatta University clocked 35:15.21 to win gold in the women’s 10,000m.

This was the second gold for Wanza after triumphing in the women’s 5,000m finals on Wednesday.