Athletics Kenya clear four for Uganda Trials
Reading Time: 2min | Thu. 22.04.21. | 16:52
Search for the elusive Olympic qualifying time continues for Kenyan sprinters with expectations rising among Kenyan coaches of a possible clincher.
Four Kenyan sprinters will be in Kampala for Uganda’s National Trials and Under 20 Championships on Saturday 24th April 2021 as the quest for Olympic qualifying time hits fever pitch.
The quartet includes immediate former 100m record holder Mark Otieno who is desperate to grace the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics this summer.
He will compete in both 100m and 200m with an eye for the elusive qualifying marks. Otieno is seeking 10.05 seconds over 100m to book his ticket and is confident of finally realizing this dream having narrowly missed out in Zambia a fortnight back.
Otieno clocked a personal best 10.11s in 100m and 20.46s over 200m at the National Heroes stadium in Zambia but his handlers believe conditions are set for a faster performance in Kampala.
“We believe there will be something special coming out of Uganda this Saturday. The best we can do is pray that conditions are optimal for what the sprinters are looking for. Mark has been training well and every day the possibility of running faster is there. I believe he is going to make it,” remarked Hilary Wesonga, one of the best sprint coaches in the country.
Wesonga coached Otieno to the 2017 IAAF Wold Championships in London where the 27 year-old athlete made history became the first Kenyan to ever run a 100m race at the World Championships.
Also in the Kenyan delegation is the highly rated Mike Mokamba, son of sprint legend Elikanah Nyang’au who has been drafted for the 200m race in the Ugandan capital.
From the highs of a 20.48s in 200m in the year 2015 while turning out for then very young and vibrant Nairobi team, Mokamba has not lived up to the potential he has in the half lap race.
His sprinting prowess massively declined after joining the Kenya Defense Forces leaving him and the rest of the famous Nairobi team living in the shadows of other sprinters.
He will be in Silesia for the World Relays on 1st and 2nd May and needs all the competition he can get to be sharper.
The third Kenyan sprinter heading for the Ugandan trials is the massively talented Mark Njoroge Kang’ethe Njoroge and multi-talented Ibrahim Azariah Tembe.
Kang’ethe will race in the 200m while Azariah is drafted for 100m, 400m, Long Jump and Discus.
Athletics outcast Ferdinand Omanyala remains the only Kenyan sprinter to clock required time but the 24 year-old has been denied entry into the games owing to past doping offense.
