AK names team for African Games

Athletics Kenya has named a squad of 60 athletes which will represent the country in the African Games from August 23 to September 3 in Casablanca, Morocco.

Hellen Syombua broke the national 400 metres record in what was the highlight of the final day of the explosive three-day trials where former national 400m champion Alphas Kishoyian, Winfred Mbithe and Nixon Chepseba were among the major casualties.

The trials witnessed the return of the 2008 Olympic 5,000m bronze medallist Edwin Soi, and former 100m and 200m champion Mike Mokamba from injury, both winning men’s 10,000m and 200m races respectively for their maiden Africa Games.

The 2016 Africa 400m hurdles bronze medallist Aaron Koech is the only athlete to have been handed a wild card in 400m hurdles. Also returning from maternity leave is former national Under-20 200m champion Maureen Thomas.

Among the seasoned athletes making the team are the 2011 African Games javelin champion Julius Yego, who is also the 2015 World champion, 3,000m steeplechase world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech, the 2017 World Cross Country senior women silver medallist Lilian Kasait and the 2015 African Games 100m silver medallist Eunice Kadogo, who will compete in 200m.

World Under 5,000m champion Beatrice Chebet will team up with Kasait in 5,000m at the African Games where World and Africa Under-20 1,500m George Manangoi will be seeking to follow in the footsteps of his elder brother Elijah Manang'oi, who holds the World, Commonwealth and Africa 1,500m titles.

It will be interesting to see how 100m hurdler Caroline Waiganjo will perform in Morocco, having returned from maternity break to claim a ticket to the games. National 100m champion Mark Otieno took the only ticket in men’s 100m race as the only qualifier.

While naming the squad, Athletics Kenya director of competition Paul Mutwii said coaches Julius Kirwa and John Ngure will coordinate the team before a full technical bench is put in place. The team starts residential training on July 28 at Kasarani for three weeks before departure for Morocco.

Syombua, the World 4x400m mixed Relay bronze medallist, tore the blue tartan track at the Moi International Sports Centre to shreds, setting a new record time of 51.09 seconds.

She erased the previous record of 51.18 set by Maximilla Imali during the 2017 national championships, improving her personal best of 51.72.