Athletics Kenya, KSSSA now align calendars
Kenya's Lydia Jeruto celebrates winning the girls' 800m Heat 1 during the IAAF World Under-18 Athletics Championship on July 13, 2017 at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |
What you need to know:
- The African under 18 and 20 championships will be jointly held in Ivory Coast from April 13th through to the 20th. Western and Nyanza regions, who had earlier set their regional championships from March 20 to 24th, have had to adjust their dates to March 18 and 21st.
- They will, consequently, begin their championships with athletics followed by basketball, hockey, rugby and handball.
- This is the first time there is a clash in the AK and schools sports calendar after athletics, which has traditionally been a term two event, was brought to term one.
Athletics Kenya (AK) is pleased that Kenya will now send a strong team to the African junior and youth championships set for Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire in April after the Ministry of Education agreed to adjust school dates to allow primary and secondary school pupils attend the national trials.
Barnaba Korir, Athletics Kenya youth affairs committee chairman on Wednesday said all student athletes will now be available for the national trials for the under 18 and under 20 events, which will be jointly held at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani from March 20 to 22.
“It is very satisfying that the Ministry of Education listened to our plea and change the school dates to accommodate our national trials which to me is a very good thing because without these boys and girls from primary and secondary schools, we could have sent a very weak team for the African championships,” he said.
According to him, AK will build on the close ties with schools to ensure they continue working together in all matters athletics saying that the future of any sport lies with the youth.
He added that the trials committee was due to have a meeting Wednesday afternoon where the programme would be discussed and released to schools to allow their athletics teams to report to Nairobi in good time for the trials.
The African under 18 and 20 championships will be jointly held in Ivory Coast from April 13th through to the 20th. Western and Nyanza regions, who had earlier set their regional championships from March 20 to 24th, have had to adjust their dates to March 18 and 21st.
They will, consequently, begin their championships with athletics followed by basketball, hockey, rugby and handball. This is the first time there is a clash in the AK and schools sports calendar after athletics, which has traditionally been a term two event, was brought to term one.
There was confusion at the beginning of the season when AK released the national trials date for under 18 and 23 as they clashed with the school’s regional dates which had been earmarked for the same time.
Athletics Kenya deputy treasurer Kimoni Kisalu had, however, said that AK would invite the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) to a round-table to discuss ways of harmonising the dates.
Kisalu also reiterated that the country was bigger than any one individual and had asked the two parties to attend the meeting with an open mind.
“It is obvious that most students form the under-18 group meaning having the trials without the schools will see us come up with half-baked teams,” Kisalu said then.
