Kenyan athletes raring for Rio Paralympic Games action

Gilbert Langat is relishing making his Paralympic Games debut and says the big occasion scares him little.

The 15the edition of the Summer Paralympics Games gets underway in Rio, Brazil, in under from September 7 to 18.

An advanced team of officials led by Chef de Mission Maina Kamau left on Thursday.

Langat, who is one of the nine athletes who will be representing Kenya in the competitions says he is raring to go.

Langat who bagged silver at the World Championship in Dubai in 400 metres and Henry Nzungi, who won gold in 400m at the All Africa Games in Congo last year will be Kenya’s only competitors in the 400 metres race.

“It (the Paralympic Games) will be my first major assignment. Of course there will be pressure but I’ll manage it well. The coaches have been helpful in giving tips and I want to go to Rio with the aim of making it to the medal bracket,” Langat said.

Henry Kirwa, a triple gold medallist at the Beijing Games in 2008, Nelly Nasimiyu, Wilson Bii and Nancy Chelagat will be fighting it out in the 1,500 metres.

BULLISH MOOD

The Rio outing will also be special for Kirwa who will be out to defend the 1,500m and 5,000m titles he won in Beijing in 2008.

And the charming Kirwa who covered the 1,500 metres in 3.53 minutes and 5,000m in 14.23 minutes in Beijing says that he is fired up for the challenge.

At the same time, team manager John Tita believes that the long duration in camp will work in their favour.

“The athletes are happy and in bullish mood because for the first time we have had long residential camp,” he said.

This was the plan and I’m glad that everything is progressing well.

“The speed of the athletes has improved and the aim is to improve our medal tally of six at the London Olympics,” Tita told Sunday Nation.

For the first time, Kenya will be competing in power- rowing where Itaken Timoi is expected to show his worth.