AK finally gets govt backing for Africa meeting

The Confederation of African Athletics will not shop for an alternative host for the 2010 African Athletics Championship after the Kenyan Government on Monday agreed to stage the biennial competition in Nairobi.

The confirmation comes a month after the expiry of Athletics Kenya’s ultimatum to have the government’s commitment and a year since the association won the rights to host the championship in Addis Ababa.

AK chairman, Isaiah Kiplagat, on Monday said he had received an official communication from the government agreeing to host the event.

“We have received the confirmation from the government today (Monday) morning. We have already appointed an organising committee and we expect them to set up a secretariat as soon as possible,” he said.

Kiplagat was speaking during a special luncheon to award Kenya’s team to last month’s world cross country championships in Amman which successfully retained the overall team title for the 24th time.

Kenya Commercial Bank, the local cross country season sponsors, dished out Sh1.25 million to the successful athletes. The government also pledged to honour the athletes in two weeks time.

However, sports secretary, Wilson Langat, had with him Sh1 million which he shared among the individual medallists. Florence Kiplagat, the new champion in the senior women’s race, got Sh 300,000, Linet Masai, Titus Mbishei and Mercy Cherono, who were silver medallists, took home Sh200,000 while Jackline Chepngeno, a bronze medallist in junior women’s race, was given Sh100,000.

The bank’s chief executive officer, Martin Oduor Otieno, also reaffirmed that the bank will sponsor the team next season in its preparation for the 2010 global championships in Bydgoszczc, Poland.

Kiplagat said cross country competitions faced tough challenges and spoke of the possibility of the world cross country championships being after every two years from 2011.

Technical bench

Sports minister Helen Sambili said in a speech read on her behalf by Langat that Kenya’s performance was good but the technical bench needed to adjust its team tactics and sharpen sprinting ability to regain the edge over their rivals in the final home stretch.

KCB handed out Sh250,000 for the three team titles and overall victory that Kenya had. Senior women’s champion Kiplagat was also given Sh250,000. The team title awards were shared by the athletes.

AK also paid those who did not win and the juniors who, under IAAF rules, are not eligible for cash awards. At least each senior team member went home with Sh60,000 while the juniors took Sh40,000.

AK treasurer Joseph Kinyua also confirmed that each juniors athlete will also get an additional Sh20,000 once IAAF wires the money awarded for the overall team title.