Dolphins dominate 'Club Games' swimming trials

Dolphins’ Tory Pragassa in action during the men's 50 LC Meter Breaststroke which he won with a time of 30.36 seconds ahead of his closest opponent Samuel Ndonga, who timed 31.85 seconds during the first day of the Kenya Swimming Federation Age Group Championships at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on February 23, 2018. PHOTO | KANYIRI WAHITO |

What you need to know:

  • Dolphins’ Tory Pragassa and Ridhwan Abubakar from Bandari dominated their respective finals as Kenya Swimming Federation Age Group Championships got under way at Kasarani on Friday.
  • The three-day competition is also being used to select the team for Gold Coast Commonwealth Games due April 4 to 15 in Australia and Cana Zone IV Championships planned for March 21 to 23 in Lilongwe, Malawi.
  • Pragassa and Abubakar are some of the country's hopefuls for the "Club" Games, where Kenya has been allocated five slots- two men and three women.

Dolphins’ Tory Pragassa and Ridhwan Abubakar from Bandari dominated their respective finals as Kenya Swimming Federation Age Group Championships got under way at Kasarani on Friday.

The three-day competition is also being used to select the team for Gold Coast Commonwealth Games due April 4 to 15 in Australia and Cana Zone IV Championships planned for March 21 to 23 in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Pragassa and Abubakar are some of the country's hopefuls for the "Club" Games, where Kenya has been allocated five slots- two men and three women.

A team of 40 will be picked for the Cana event.

Pragassa touched the wall in 30.36 seconds to win boys’ 16 and over 50 long course breaststroke, beating Samuel Ndonga from Otters in 30.85 as Ciaran Eddy of Baracudda came in third in 32.36.

Ridhwan clocked 2:22.05 to win boys’ 16 and over 200m long course individual medley, beating Muhammad Khandwalla in 2:35.88, as Makini’s Kevin Adede timed 2:59.35 for third.

“We shall hold the preliminaries in the morning followed by the finals in the afternoon with no events being repeated,” said Jen Maina, the chairperson of competitions at the KSF Transition Committee.

“We have limited slots for the Commonwealth Games but we hope to pick a strong team.”

Kyle Edward from Baracudda won boys’ 16 and over 100 long course backstroke in 1:10.00, touching the wall ahead of Jerome Waudo from Bosc in 1:17.75, as Ronnie Roberts came in third in 1:21.62.

Hadassah Gichovi from Loreto Convent Valley Road proved supreme in girls' 16 and over 100m long course backstroke, timing 1:15.56 to win ahead of Alexandra Kranck in 1:22.12.

Gems’ Mya Omondi dominated in girls’ 14 and under 200m butterfly, winning in 3:00.97, as Ali Islam from Mombasa Aquatic and Rugby Okumu of Loreto Convent Valley Road paced up for second and third in 3:01.74 and 3:19.20 respectively.

Tabuka Bifwoli of Gems timed 2:40.63 to triumph in boys’ 14 and under 200m long course butterfly, where Bandari’s Siegred Katumwa returned home in 2:53.23, as Ivan Hart of Mombasa Aquatic timed 2:56.84 for third spot.

Earlier, Ali Islam had broken the national record with victory in a new time of 21:13.76 in girls' 14 and under 1,500m long course freestyle.

Her time replaced Eva Donde’s time of 22:39.29 set in 2001.