On July 8, Athletics Kenya (AK) unveiled a potent 57-member squad to represent the country at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
The contingent has now shrunk to 54 athletes due to Kenya’s decision not to field a 4x100m relay team at the August 19-27 global competition.
The first batch of Team Kenya athletes left for Budapest on Monday with others expected to join them later. This follows a three-week residential training camp at Sports View Hotel in Kasarani that began on July 13.
The multi-talented Kenyan team will compete at the newly-built National Athletics Centre on the eastern bank of the Danube River in the Hungarian capital.
Led by head coach Julius Kirwa, the talent-laden Kenyan delegation has the potential to plunder medals at whim when duty finally calls this weekend.
The superb depth of the team conjures up a measure of confidence in Kenya’s capacity to assert authority in the championships.
Some changes have been made to the team though, with youngster Ishmael Kipkurui having been brought on board to step into the shoes of 10,000m runner Kibiwott Kandie, who was rendered unfit by a hamstring injury.
1,500m runner Brenda Chebet was also enlisted at the eleventh hour to replace Purity Chepkirui.
On Thursday last week, Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba urged the team to go out and vanquish the world. He, however, made a clarion call to those flying the country’s flag to compete fairly and triumph honorably.
Namwamba made the remarks while handing over the national flag to the team at his office in Maktaba House in Nairobi.
We concur with Namwamba that the World Athletics Championships are the pinnacle of athletics competition and, as such, Kenyan athletes ought to observe utmost honour and dignity while plying trade for the country.
The CS implored every member of Team Kenya to compete fairly and triumph honorably to improve Kenya’s reputation abroad.
Namwamba’s words are deliberate and timely considering the humiliation the country has been subjected to in the recent past after several athletes were found guilty of anti-doping rule violations.
However, a myriad of Kenyan athletes have done superbly in the past without necessarily violating these rules.
The nation is home to celebrated athletes such as world 800m record holder David Rudisha, and 2010 Commonwealth Games 3,000m steeplechase champion Milcah Chemos, who ran clean on their way to global glory.
It is encouraging to note that Rudisha was invited by the World Athletics to attend the 2023 Championships as a special guest while Chemos landed a key role in Kenya’s quality assurance team for the championship.
We must strive to maintain the pristine image of our athletics history at all costs by removing individuals who use shortcuts to achieve fortune and fame.
Namwamba also promised that the government will ensure smooth travel arrangements for the squad to Budapest to avoid the gremlins that left the country with an egg on its face during last year’s championships in Oregon, USA.
Kenyan sprint sensation Ferdinand Omanyala arrived just hours before his race and performed poorly due to jetlag.
The extensive plan the government has unveiled to recognise champion athletes is even more encouraging. The process began with Faith Kipyegon’s Sh5m cash incentive and an additional gift of a Sh6 million property in Naitobi.
All said and done, we can only wish Team Kenya all the best in the Hungarian capital. Go Team Kenya, go!
