Former Boston champ Tanui eyes Olympic golf squad

FROM LEFT: Two times Boston Marathon Champion Moses Tanui, CAK Director Director General Francis Wangusi and KECOSO Chairman Mutua Muthusi during the launch of Peace Marathon, yesterday. [PHOTO/COURTESY]

Eldoret will host the 35th edition of Kenya Communications Sports Organisation (Kecoso) games that run from August 9-17.

The annual fest, which turned out as the goose that laid Kenya's golden egg in the 1980's, but later slipped back after most state corporations were restructured, has gained a new impetus thanks to increased sponsorship.

And they harbour lofty dreams of boosting Kenyan performances in multi-sport global contests like the Commonwealth Games and Olympics.

Mutua Muthusi, the Kecoso chairman, said the event, which will feature 13 sports disciplines, will enhance Kenyan performances in major international competitions.

"We will ensure that Kenya presents and even improves its medal count at the Olympics. I am sure we can win medals in events such as golf since we have good talent," Muthusi said during the launch of Kecoso games at the Kenya Communications Authority (KCA) headquarters in
Nairobi yesterday.

KCA and Postal Corporation of Kenya will sponsor a 21km run in Eldoret during the games on August 10, to the tune of Sh4.7 million. Winners will take home Sh250,000. Registration, which is Sh100, will be done in all post offices across Kenya and will close on August 6.
The Kecoso games features golf, football, netball, volleyball, basketball, table tennis, pool, snooker, darts, scrabble and athletics.

Muthusi said Kecoso will revert to its traditional role of empowering coaches and the technical team.

"Since the companies that sponsored Kecoso have stabilised, we will develop world class coaches. We would like to see our technical people officiate in Commonwealth Games and the Olympics in future. But we will struggle to have participants from Olympics heading to the next
Olympics," he said.

Kecoso members include Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology, Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Kenya Ferry Services, Kenya Ports Authority, Kenya Maritime Authority, Postal Corporation of Kenya and Kenya Film and Classification Board.
Two-time Boston Marathon winner Moses Tanui, an avid golfer and one of the guests at the launch ceremony, asked Kecoso to stage a series of golf tournaments to raise Kenyan golfing profile.

"I posted the best performance in athletics but unfortunately I could not win an Olympic. But all is not lost. I still gear up to make Kenya's team to the 2016 Rio, Brazil. Watch me out and believe Kecoso will produce other stars," said Tanui.
The 2013 showpiece was held in Kisumu saw Posta Kenya win the crown.