Ekwam: I am the next Van Niekerk

Zablon Ekwam is a star on the rise. The 21-year old might be Kenya’s hopes of breaking the jinx that has seen the country miss out on medals at global events in sprints, but for the late Nicholas Bett who won gold in 400m hurdles at the 2015 World Championships and Boniface Mucheru’s silver at the Rio Olympics.

Just three years after taking on athletics while in his final year of high school, Ekwam proved to be no push-over and has already announced his arrival in the 400m stage by winning the first Athletics Kenya (AK) track and field meet held at Nyayo Stadium on the weekend.

 “I want to be the fastest man in the country as far as the distance is concerned. There are faster athletes in 400m who did not compete in the weekend meet and are managing 44 and lower. However, I am confident of lowering my time and finally beating the national record which stands at 44.18 set by Samson Kitur at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics,” said the Ndura Athletics Club sprinter.

The youngster believes that the world record currently held by Olympics champion, South African Wayde van Niekerk, with a time of 43.03 seconds will be his in the next four years. 

“Van Niekerk is my role model and I am inspired, just like him, to break the world record. I am still young and I have set a target of breaking the record before turning 26,” the Todonyang’-born Ekwam confidently says adding that he is targeting qualification to the Tokyo Olympics as well.

In a field that had more experienced sprinters among them Kenya Defence Forces’ Jared Momanyi and 800m specialist Wycliffe Kinyamal, Ekwam clocked 45.65 ahead of William Raiyan and Kinyamal who finished second and third in 46.13 and 46.55, respectively. 

“I came to Nairobi with the sole purpose of lowering the time I had run at the relays meet. I was doing 46 seconds in the heats and at the semifinal but I was preserving my energy for the final which I am glad to have achieved my target as I clocked 45.65. I now shift my focus to the trials on March 26 and 27, where a team will be picked to represent Kenya at the World Relays slated for Silesia, Poland, in May,” added Ekwam.

The Kitale-based athlete started competing in athletics while in Form 4 at Kapenguria Boys Secondary School. He represented the country at the East Africa School Games in Musanze, Rwanda in 2018.

“I started my athletics career later than is expected as my father had insisted that I focus on my studies. I started out as a 100m and 200m sprinter. I was in the 200m final at the qualifiers for Doha World Championships but I was red-carded. That is when coach Philip Ndura advised me to shift to 400m and I am glad something good is coming off that move,” Ekwam offered.