Buoyant Kenyans vow to sweep the board

Morale is skyrocketing in the Kenyan camp here after the athletes’ allowances were settled promptly upon arrival.

With all the hurdles removed, head coach Julius Kirwa said the challenge is now for the team to sweep the board come Saturday.

“We want this team to emulate the 1994 squad. Make me cry tears of joy. This is what the 30 million Kenyans are yearning for back home,” Kirwa told his charges.

Moses Mosop, the 2007 silver medallist in the senior men’s 12km race, said he wants to win the medal that skipped him in Mombasa where he was spiked and ran the entire race with one shoe.

Team physiotherapist, Peter Nduhio, cautioned Kenyan runners to be careful in the races to avoid being spiked.

“Being the defending champions, they will be placed right at the centre when the race start. It will be tough unless they sprint away,” he said.

Already, perennial rivals Ethiopia are getting uncomfortable with the joint-teams training exercise. One of their technical team members is employed to constantly keep an eye on Kenya’s training.

Both Ethiopia and Kenya are booked in at the Region Hotel. The two teams arrived together at their hotel and the Ethiopians talked in low tones pointing at their Kenyan athletes to watch out for.

End Bekele’s reign

“They are interested in Linet Masai. They know she is strong but what they do not realise is that the others in the team are equally strong,” said Kirwa.

Moses Mosop, the silver medallist in Mombasa in 2007, is also another athlete who has been given close attention. But, Kenyan athletes continue doing their training with no worry.

Kirwa, who was in Brussels in 2004 when the Bekele reign started, said he was disappointed of him not being part of their contingent.

Well prepared

However, he maintained that until after the technical meeting, Ethiopia were still capable of changing their squad.

“I have not seen him though, but that does not mean that he will not be running. Let us wait until the technical meeting today and see what list they present,” he said.

The coach pointed out that Mosop, Linus Chumba, Mathew Kisorio, Mangata Ndiwa, Leonard Komon and Mark Kiptoo were capable of ending Bekele’s reign.

“But we also have Zersenay Tedese of Eritrea, Uganda and Qatar athletes to compete against. His absence will not water down the competition but he would have helped raise the tempo,” he said.

World 5,000m silver medallist Mathew Kisorio, however, pointed out that though his senior colleagues have an advantage, he was in Amman to win the title his father Some Muge failed to get in 1983 (he won a bronze), a gold medal.

“I am well prepared. I want something to look at that will make it understandable and compensate for my missing class,” he said.