Athletics Kenya names team to Doha

By Mutwiri Mutuota

World 5,000m women’s champion, Vivian Cheruiyot and Commonwealth men gold medallist over the same distance, Augustine Choge will lead Kenya’s charge at the March 12 to 14 World Indoor Championships in Doha.

Announcing the squad yesterday, Athletics Kenya (AK) disclosed there would be no place in the seven-strong line-up for reigning 3,000m indoor silver medallist, Paul Kipsiele Koech and his 1,500m equivalent, Daniel Kipchirchir Komen who were the only podium finishers for Kenya at the last edition in Valencia, Spain.

Samuel Mutai will partner Choge, the world leader in 3,000m following his storming 7:31.75 at the GE Galan IAAF Permit Meet in Stockholm Sweden ten days ago.

Mutahi’s 7:32.02 is ranked third on the 3,000m IAAF top list that was used to select the Doha bound team.

Africa champion, Haron Keitany and silver medallist, Gideon Gathimba received the nod in men’s 1,500m.

Keitany’s 3:35.69 victory at the Gent Indoor meeting last week is the seventh best year performance in the closed circuit while Gathimba’s third place in Birmingham over the weekend where he clocked 3:35.40 is rated fifth.

Olympics 800m semi-finalist, Boaz Lalang whose 1:46.37 is the seventh best indoor performance of the year is also in the Doha bound team. However, his manager, James Templeton will foot his costs since he was the seventh runner selected. Cheruiyot who opted to skip the World Cross and Berlin silver medallist, Silvia Kibet are the women representatives competing over 3,000m.

The world champion is ranked fifth (8:41.0) in 3,000m where Kibet (8:41.24) is rated a place below on the world list. Kipsiele was left in the cold .