Training intensifies for African Athletics Championships

By Mutwiri Mutuota

Botswana are set to be the first African team to arrive for Nairobi 2010 African Athletics Championships with the Southern African nation due to check in today.

Their Southern neighbours, Namibia, are next on the queue, with organisers expecting their squad to arrive tomorrow.

Local Organising Committee (LOC) chief executive, David Okeyo, told FeverPitch. "We have sent emails to Botswana and Namibia to confirm their travel details since from earlier communication to us, they had stated they would arrive on Tuesday and Wednesday.

"Other French speaking countries from the North had also indicated to us they would be arriving early to acclimatise and it’s going to be a busy week ahead for us," Okeyo stated.

Submission deadline

Today also marks the deadline for submission of final entries by teams participating in the continental competition that is only 15 days from the opening ceremony.

Okeyo stated LOC would release details on competitors entered for the five-day event tomorrow as the countdown to biennial track and field continental showpiece that starts on July 28 continues to toll.

Okeyo also revealed organisers were aiming at getting 80 per cent of preparations by tomorrow as the country prepares to welcome 43 countries that have expressed interest in the 17th edition of the competition.

"The warm-up track that gave us some concern is almost ready, and other aspects of preparations are also being concluded. The arrival of the electronic scoreboard will be among the last items of the whole process and that is also on schedule," an upbeat Okeyo said.

Continued training

Meanwhile, the Kenyan team continued training for the event at the Moi International Sports Stadium, with Beijing Olympic 5,000m bronze winner, Edwin Soi among the four athletes who linked up with the squad over the weekend.

Others who joined the team according to head coach are Stephen Mwaniki, former World Junior women’s 1,500m champion, Irene Jelagat, Vincent Yator who won the men 5,000m at the Trials for Nairobi 2010 and women’s steeplechase hopeful, Lydia Rotich.

So far, we have 95 athletes in camp and every coach is now training with their programmes. We have co-ordinated our programmes and everything is proceeding well, Mwaniki told FeverPitch.

At the same time, Asafa Powell attributed his loss to Tyson Gay over 100 metres at the Diamond League meeting in Gateshead on Saturday to a poor memory, adds Reuters.

The Jamaican, who along with record holder Usain Bolt has the fastest time in the world this year, finished 0.02 seconds behind a strong-finishing Gay after blasting out of the blocks.

"I was pushing through to the line and started to ease up a bit too much. I think I forgot it was Tyson Gay out there," he told reporters.