AK adjusts Commonwealth Games plans, names Africa team

Only one field event, men’s javelin, will feature at the national trials for the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games scheduled for May 20-21 at the Moi Internationals Sports Centre, Kasarani.

At the same time, Athletics Kenya (AK) dropped 24 athletes when naming the final squad of 54 for the Africa Senior Athletics Championships.

With an allotment of 50 slots by the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K), AK senior deputy president in charge of competitions, Paul Mutwii warned that they might be forced to take two or one athlete in some track events instead of three.

This year’s “Club” Games will be staged from July 28 to August 8 in Birmingham, United Kingdom while the Africa Senior Athletics Championships are due from  June 8 to 12 at Cote d’Or National Sports Complex, Reduit, Mauritius.

Mutwii said they have lodged an appeal with NOC-K but conceded that things didn't look promising after the national Olympic body insisted that they only have 100 spots in open allocation individual sports.

Athletics will have to share these spots with swimming, badminton, boxing, cycling, judo, lawn bowls, squash, triathlon and wrestling that are in the open allocation individual sports.

“As you can see, we have been allocated half of those places but we are still in discussion and hopeful we shall get more slots,” said Mutwii, noting that a country is given a quota depending on their performance at previous games.

Kenya entered a team of 66; 38 men and 28 women in athletics at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

There Kenya collected 17 medals -- four gold, seven silver and six bronze.

All medals came from athletics save for one, bronze, from boxing, through Christine Ongare.

Kenya collected 25 medals -- 10 gold, 10 silver and 5 bronze from the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Of the medals, two bronze came from boxing and weightlifting.

“We shall try to get areas where we have strong medal prospects and our athletes are competitive enough,” said Mutwii.

The events on the cards during the trials that are through invitation only are men and women’s 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1,500m, 5,000m, 10,000m, 3,000m steeplechase and 10km race walk.

Also invited are athletes to compete in men’s 400m hurdles and men’s javelin.

Mutwii said that they have settled on quality for the Africa event, basing final selection on competitiveness and how the athletes finished during the National Championships last month.

Among those dropped are national high jump champion Mathew Sawe, who is also the Africa champion, world 10,000m bronze medallist Paul Tanui, national 400m record holder Hellen Syombua and Boniface Mweresa.

Sawe retained his national title in 2.12m, beating Asbel Kiprop on countback. Kiprop will now be Kenya’s sole representative in the event.

Tanui had been given a wild card in the men's 10,000m team that now remains with the national champion Kenneth Kiprop and Julius Kipkwony.

Syombua was disqualified for a false start in the women's 400m but got a wild card. The 400m team now has the national champion Veronica Mutua and Jacinta Shikanda.

Full team

Women:

100m Maximilla Imali, Monica Safania

100m hurdles Priscilla Tabunda

200m Maximilla Imali, Millicent Ndoro, Eunice Kadogo

400m Veronica Mutua, Jacinta Shikanda

400m hurdles -Jane Chege

800m Jarinter Mawia, Naomi Korir

1500m Purity Chepkirui, Winny Chebet, Brenda Chebet

3000m SC- Jackline Chepkoech, Cellphine Chespol, Carren Chebet

5000m Beatrice Chebet, Caroline Nyaga

10,000m Alice Aprot, Judy Komen

4x100m Maximilla Imali, Monica Safania, Eunice Kadogo, Millicent Ndoro

4x400m Veronica Mutua, Jacinta Shikanda, Jarinter Mawia, Jane Chege

20km Race Walk Sylvia Kemboi, Emily Ngii

Hammer Lucy Omondi, Linda Oseso

Javelin Martha Musai

Men:

100m Ferdinand Omanyala, Samuel Imeta

110m hurdles Wiseman Were, Michael Musyoki

200m Ferdinand Omanyala, Dan Kiviasi, Mike Mokamba

400mCollins Omae, William Rayan

400m hurdlesWiseman Were, William Mbevi

800m Noah Kibet, Nicholas Kebenei

1,500m Abel Kipsang, Kumari Taki

3,000m SC Abraham Kibiwott, Geoffrey Kirwa, Benjamin Kigen

5,000m Daniel Simiu, Ismael Kirui

10,000m Kenneth Kiprop, Julius Chepkwony

4x100m Ferdinand Omanyala, Samuel Imeta, Dan Kiviasi, Wiseman Were

4x400m Collins Omae, William Rayan, William Mbevi, Noah Kibet

20km race walk -Samuel Gathimba, Heristone Wanyonyi

High jump – Asbel Kiprop

Triple Jump- Gilbert Pkemoi, Isaac Kirwa

Hammer- Dominic Abunda

Javelin –Julius Yego, Alexander Kiprotich

Decathlon-Edwin Too, Gilbert Koech