Federations pick teams for Commonwealth Games

Lawn bowling, power lifting, para power lifting and squash have named their final squads for April’s Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

Sephas Kimwaki and Eunice Wambui will represent Kenya once again in lawn bowling at this year’s games in Australia from April 4 to 15 after making an appearance at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games in Scotland.

Unlike Glasgow, where Kenya was given nine slots, Kenya’s chef de mission to the Gold Coast games, Barnabas Korir, said Kenya was only allocated two slots based on the results in Glasgow.

Bowling held their final trials in December at Karen where several players took part but had to wait until January 15 when Kenya Bowling Association’s council had to difficult task of picking the two bowlers.

Korir disclosed that the two bowlers will be coached and managed by Bernard Ndungu.

James Adede (94 kilogrammes) and Webster Lusoke (77kgs), who competed at the Glasgow Games, are among the five weight lifters (three men and two women) for Gold Coast. 

The 18-year-old Benjamin Osiemo (56kgs) from Kisumu, is the other lifter in the men’s team. Adede finished 10th in the 105kg event while Lukose was ranked 21st in Glasgow.

Kenya has an additional one slot in the women’s weight lifting team that has Winnie Okoth (63kgs) and Winnie Chepng’eno (58kgs).

Mercy Obiero, who represented Kenya at the 2006 (Melbourne), 2010 (Delhi) and 2014 (Glasgow) games, will be missing in action this time round.

Douglas Locho is the coach while Pius Ochieng the team manager.

Joyce Wambui, who made history winning bronze in women’s over 61kgs at para power lifting in Glasgow, has the opportunity to better her results in Gold Coast.

CONTINGENT OF 220 PEOPLE

Wambiu will team up with Hellen Wawira in the women’s competition while Kenya has only one representative in the men’s para power lifting contest, Gabriel Magu, who finished 12th in Glasgow.

Kenya also has only one contestant in para athletics, Stephen Wesonga, who will compete in the 100 metres race.

Squash has James Dalidi Khasatsili and Elizabeth Mary Mulwa, while table tennis had picked their two contestants earlier, Sejal Thakkar and Brian Mutua.

Korir disclosed that the accreditation of Team Kenya for Gold Coast has been finalised where the country will be represented by a contingent of 220 people. A total of 137 athletes will competed supported a technical wing of 57 coaches and managers.

The remaining 31 personnel comprises 20 members of the steering committee, games’ attaché and two deputies and six technical officials and two coaches, who have been invited by the Commonwealth Games Federation.

Kenya will field in 15 disciplines, namely: athletics, athletics para, swimming, badminton, boxing, cycling, bowling, rugby sevens (men and women), shooting, squash, table tennis, triathlon, weight lifting, para weight lifting and wrestling.

Athletics, swimming, badminton, cycling, shooting, wrestling, rugby, triathlon and boxing are yet to finalise on their final squads even though several of them have picked their tentative squads.

They include boxing and rugby. 

Cycling hopefuls are headed for Rwanda this weekend to hold their trials to pick four contestants in men’s event while wrestling will hold their selection on Saturday at Prisons Staff Training College, Ruiru, to pick two wrestlers.