Empty camp frustrates coach

Julius Kirwa, the national athletics head coach, is a frustrated man.

As the New KCC track and field weekend meetings ended in Mombasa on Saturday, he had no clue when sprinters meant to move to camp on Monday ahead of the World Championship set for Berlin in August would.

Kirwa gave a thumps up sign for middle and long distance events as the curtain came down on the six-round weekend meetings but returned a fail verdict over the sprints.

“Mombasa offered sprinters a perfect opportunity to show their claws. But the elite sprinters expected to make the cut for Berlin were missing and, instead, we had a mitigated contest,” he lamented.

Now Kirwa wants Athletics Kenya to introduce a system where the meetings will be dependent on which region would be hosting them.

“In future, Mombasa, Kakamega and Kisumu should only be reserved for sprinters and middle distance races. Eldoret, Kericho, Kisii, Machakos, Nyeri and Meru would be ideal for long distance,” he said.

This follows a move by the elite long distance runners to skip the meeting in Mombasa.

Slow pace

The coach is also disturbed by the slow pace at which AK is implementing its decisions.

According to the federation’s calendar of events, the probable team of runners was supposed to join training camp yesterday. But as Kirwa left Mombasa, he was in doubt on when that will happen.

“I presented to AK a list of the athletes we need at the probable camp. Time is running out, yet no one has sanctioned it. I do not know whether we will be in Kasarani or Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret,” he said.

The concern was echoed by the sprints coach, Steven Mwaniki. His only assignment this year was to take a team to South Africa in February to help them attain qualifying times, but little has been heard of them since.

“We are supposed to enter teams in African championships in Mauritius, Nigeria, Sudan, South Africa and Senegal to see them register required times. But there is no word yet on which one they will be entering runners,” he said.

Vice-chairman Paul Mutui, who is in charge of AK’s technical affairs, failed to answer questions on why the federation does not give priority to the sprinters yet they are rarely called to international meetings where lucrative prize money is on offer.

On middle and long distance races, Kirwa said he was spoilt for choice and warned that the trials set for next month will be explosive.

He noted that there are 16 candidates in the 1,500m men’s race, led by Olympic champion-in-waiting Asbel Kiprop. Seven women are expected to challenge Nancy Jebet Lagat, the surprise winner in the Beijing Olympics.

Battle of giants

The two-lap race has Olympic star Pamela Jelimo and World champion Janeth Jepkosgei while World champion Alfred Kirwa is among the 14 men within the qualifying time.

With 29 short-listed in the men’s 5,000m, a battle of giants is in the offing there, while Vivian Cheruiyot’s good run abroad will be put to test in the women’s category, which has 10 top candidates.

With the records of 18 qualifiers on the line, the 3,000m steeplechase will be another mini World championship contest, as will the 10,000m race.