Yego chokes again as Ongare settles for boxing bronze

IN GOLD COAST

Wonders never cease in Team Kenya’s camp at these Commonwealth Games.

Just when everyone thought Julius Yego was on the upward trajectory, the former world and outgoing Commonwealth Games javelin champion surprisingly failed to make the final of the competition at the Carrara Stadium on Friday morning. Yego finished last in last year's World Championships in London.

And, out of the blues, his protégé, Alex Kiprotich, sailed into Saturday’s final with a throw of 74.88 metres from Group ‘A’ of the qualifying rounds.

But a furious Yego took on the competition officials, blaming them for the morning fiasco.

ONGARE CLAIMS BRONZE

In the boxing ring at the Oxenford Studios, Kenya settled for bronze when Northern Ireland’s Carly “Wrecking Ball” McNaul was awarded a unanimous points win over Christine Ongare in their flyweight semi-final.

McNaul, 28, sent Ongare to the canvas in the second round and her dominant display earned her a fight for the gold medal against 32-year-old Englishwoman Lisa Whiteside.

Whiteside, a former police officer, fractured her skull in an accident in 2015 and was sidelined for seven months, missing the Rio Olympics in 2016.

“My first opponent (Sri Lanka’s Dulani Jayasinghe) was more competitive than this one, but I think she is strong and has the right training hence giving her an edge,” the Kenyan said.

Ongare argued that she has no sparring partner making preparations for her a bit disjointed.

“The only sparring partner I had joined the armed forces, leaving me to myself,” said Ongare, who was eliminated in the preliminaries of the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

She has also fought in 2012 World Championships in China and 2016 Olympic Games qualifiers but failed to make the cut on both occasions.

Elsewhere, at the Robina Stadium, Kenya’s women’s rugby team was outfoxed 45-0 by a strong and fluid New Zealand in their opening sevens match.

Niall Williams, the Kiwis’ imposing, 29-year-old back, sister of “All Blacks” legendary two-time World Cup winner Sonny Bill Williams, score a couple of tries with Portia Woodman, 26, whose father was also an “All Black” touching down for a hat-trick against the colourless Kenyan side that gave away way too much possession, including a howler between the posts that gifted the “All Black” ladies a free try.

“All I can say is that possession cost us this game,” Kenya coach Kevin Wambua said.

“We didn’t have as much possession as we would have wanted and they made us work hard on defence and took their chances.

“Going into the next game we need to focus on possession, especially off the kick-offs, we have to get the ball before we can play.”

Wambua said his girls did the best under the circumstances and will take a game at a time and regroup before taking on Canada (12.11pm Friday) in their second match at the Robina Stadium.

Yego’s Friday outing was mired in controversy, with his first throw disqualified as he was deemed to have stepped on the line.

But the Kenya Police athlete didn’t agree with the decision and in the middle of the confusion, his second round came up.

And with just 10 seconds to throw, the confusion yielded 74.55m.

Not even the third attempt (73.66) could salvage the situation, but the Olympic silver medallist from Nandi County was livid.

“I’m disappointed with the officials. I’m not happy,” Yego said.

“I must go and have a look at the video because I made the protest and they told me to go and check the video.

“Because for two throws, I was complaining. Like during the third one, the cone was still on the runway and the yellow card (signal to throw) went up.

“You can’t throw when the cone is on the runway, but the yellow card was up so it means you have minimal chance to stay on the runway… I’m going to check the video now.”

Kenya’s head of delegation here Barnabas Korir confirmed they had put in a protest.

“The team manager lodged an official protest over the no-throw, and I’m still waiting to hear what the decision has been,” said Korir.

FATE SEALED

But Yego’s fate seemed sealed with his name omitted from the list of finalists who will compete at the Carrara Stadium from 2.35pm local time Saturday (7.35am, Kenyan time).

There was some joy, though, on the track where Kenya’s 4x400m relay team qualified for the final after finishing a distant second to hot Botswana in their heat.

The quartet of Boniface Mweresa, Mike Mokamba, Collins Omae and Peter Mwai posted three minutes, 13.52 seconds to grab the automatic qualifying slot alongside third-placed Fiji (3:19.19) with England and Nigeria sensationally disqualified.

Botswana’s winning time was 3:05.01 with the quartet of Leaname Maotoang, Baboloki Thebe, Onkabeste Nkobolo and 400m gold medallist Isaac Makwala a sure bet for a medal in Saturday’s final that will be run at 5.07pm, local time, or 10.07am, Kenyan time.

The finalists in this relay are Botswana, Kenya, Jamaica, India, Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Fiji and the tiny Turks and Caicos Island.

Of the qualifiers, Kenya posted the sixth fastest time with Jamaica (3:03.37) the fastest.

In Friday’s other early action, Lilian Ngandu, one of two Kenyan medallists (silver) in February’s African championships in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, found the going tough, losing her fights against Bangladesh’s Sherin Sultana and Nigeria’s Blessing Oborududu in the freestyle 68-kilogramme category.

She was outwrestled 5-0 (8-3 on technical points) by the Bangladeshi fighter before falling 2-0 on technical points to the Nigerian in a fight that lasted just one minute.

TRIO EASES INTO 1500M FINAL

Kenya’s trio in the 1,500m weren’t expected to break any sweat, and they didn’t, coasting through to Saturday’s final effortlessly.

Last year’s IAAF World Championships silver medallist Timothy Cheruiyot won Heat One in 3:42.95 with world junior champion Kumari Taki taking third place (3:43.93) and also qualifying automatically.

Australia’s Ryan Gregson (3:43.06) was tucked between the pair to also grab the automatic ticket.

Team Kenya captain Elijah Manangoi, who is also the world champion, won Heat Two in 3:46.82 and will be hot favourite for the gold with stiff challenge expected from 2017 Diamond League winner Cheruiyot and Taki when the final is run on Saturday from 6.10pm (9.10am Kenyan time).

“I’m happy we all made it to the final,” Cheruiyot said.

“It was tough, but we all made it so tomorrow it will be teamwork so that we get the medals,” said Cheruiyot who wasn’t too concerned with the rather slow times posted.

“Time was slow because this is a championship.”

Manangoi was equally upbeat.

“We wanted to all get into the final. We now want to get back and strategise on how we shall run in the final tomorrow.

“I’m targeting to get any medal, either gold, silver or bronze. I will be grateful for any colour of medal.”

Kenya’s morning results on Friday:

Athletics:

Javelin throw: Qualifying round Group ‘A’: Alex Toroitich (5th, 74.88, qualifies for final), Group ‘B’: Julius Yego (7th, 74.55, eliminated); Men’s 1,500m, heats: Timothy Cheruiyot won Heat One (3:42.95), Kumari Taki (3:43.93) second in Heat One, Elijah Manangoi won Heat Two (3:46.82), all three qualify for final; Men’s 4x400m relay semis: Kenya (3:13.52 - Boniface Mweresa, Mike Mokamba, Collins Omae and Peter Mwai) second in semi-final one, qualify for final.

Wrestling:

Women’s freestyle, 68kg, Group ‘A’: Lilian Ngandu lost to Sherin Sultana (Bangladesh) and Blessing Oborududu (Nigeria) 5-0 each.

Boxing:

Women’s 51kg semi-final: Christine Ongare (Kenya) lost to Carly McNaul (Northern Ireland) 5-0.

Rugby Sevens:

Women’s Pool ‘A’: New Zealand 45-0 Kenya