Kenyan contingent for ‘Club Games’ takes shape

Kenya Regiment Rifle Club Gulraaj Sehmi during a past tournament at the General Service Unit Range, Embakasi. PHOTO | FILE |

What you need to know:

  • Two athletes have been selected to represent Kenya in triathlon at 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, bringing to seven the number of local federations that have so far named teams for the April 5-14 quadrennial games in Australia.
  • Seven disciplines are yet to name teams for the ‘Club Games’. They are athletics, rugby, wrestling, cycling, badminton, shooting and swimming.
  • Team Kenya’s chef de mission for the games, Barnaba Korir, Monday confirmed that federations have until February 26 to pick their squads and to submit final entries on March 7.

Two athletes have been selected to represent Kenya in triathlon at 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, bringing to seven the number of local federations that have so far named teams for the April 5-14 quadrennial games in Australia.

Seven disciplines are yet to name teams for the ‘Club Games’. They are athletics, rugby, wrestling, cycling, badminton, shooting and swimming.

Team Kenya’s chef de mission for the games, Barnaba Korir, Monday confirmed that federations have until February 26 to pick their squads and to submit final entries on March 7.

Kenya has so far named teams for table tennis, weightlifting, bowling, squash, para powerlifting and para athletics. A tentative boxing team has also been named.

Said Hanifa will again represent Kenya in women’s triathlon, and the athlete will be out to better her performance, having failed to finish her competition in the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games in Scotland.

Hanifa will be joined by Said Suleiman Mohammed who will do battle in men’s event. Chrispine Onyango is the team manager-cum coach, and Harrison Waweru the triathlon team’s mechanic.

Korir has said the team is currently in Mombasa to refine skills in swimming. “They will later move to Eldoret for training in cycling and running which is part of the competition,” said Korir.

Kenya’s athletics team will be picked on Friday and Saturday when Athletics Kenya holds national trials at Kasarani, while athletes in wrestling team should be known before end of this week.

The wrestlers competed in Africa Championships at the weekend in Nigeria.

Kenya will only send men’s wrestling team of two athletes. Daniel Moseti who claimed silver in 125km freestyle and John Omondi (92kg freestyle) are favourites to take the two slots.

Lilian Kiende also claimed bronze in women’s 72kg freestyle competition, but Kenya will not send women’s team to the event.

Cycling federation will name its team on February 19 upon the conclusion of the Africa Cycling Championship that gets underway in Kigali Tuesday, while Sevens rugby team will be picked next week.

Kenya is being represented by six men and four women cyclists in Rwanda, although the country has been allocated four slots in men’s event only.

Those in Kigali battling for the fours slots are veteran David Kinjah, Suleiman Kangangi, Salim Kipkemboi, Geoffrey Lagat, Peter Gathere and Joseph Gichora.

In shooting, three firers - Christopher Saina (Fullbore), Gurupreet Dhanjal and Gulraaj Sehmi of smallbore - are already in the team.