L. MathekaNPS Championship: Manang'oi on the mend
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Reading Time: 3min | Sat. 16.04.22. | 14:08
He finished seventh on his return to the NPS championship in two years.
Former world Athletics 1500m champion Elijah Manang'oi stepped on the track for the annual National Police Service (NPS) on Friday and Saturday as he marked his comeback after serving a two-year ban.
The police officer was, in 2020 suspended for whereabouts failure that led to three missed tests on 3 July, 12 November and 22 December 2019.
Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), while giving their verdict, dismissed the 29-year old's explanations for the missed tests.
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He had cited delayed luggage after a flight which left him with no house keys, heavy traffic at 5-6 AM after working a night shift for his employer and a mistake by a delegate logging his whereabouts information on his behalf.
His ban was backdated to start on 22 December 2019, which is the date of the third whereabouts failure. Upon the completion of his ban last year, Manang'oi embarked on his comeback, taking part mostly in cross country races.
On Saturday, Manang'oi stepped on the track to represent his employer in the 1500m men's final, but the going was tough as he finished seventh at 3:45.71 in a race won by Olympian and World Indoor bronze medalist Abel Kipsang in 3:36.28.
"I am happy to be back and despite the performance, I cannot complain as this is is my comeback race. Just being in a competition setting makes me happy," he said,
4 years ago today, I won a gold medal for Kenya at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
— Elijah Manangoi Official (@Manangoi_lion) April 12, 2022
I have always believed that if you work hard and do what's right, anything is possible.
That's the approach I have taken all my life, and it's the approach I will do it againthisyear pic.twitter.com/LC6lEb6JAI
"I know the upcoming races will be tougher and so I have to up my training. I am yet to get to my best form so I have some work to do. That said, I am running my race and taking it slow," added Manang'oi.
In a year that many expected Kenya to have at least two medalists or sweep the Olympic 1500m medals, Manang'oi was banned leaving silver medalist Timothy Cheruiyot to carry Kenya's hopes for gold.
He makes a comeback in a year that has more international races lined up, with the Senior African Athletics Championships, Commonwealth Games, World Championship as well as other gold label races.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, it is that we are powerful beyond measure.”
— Elijah Manangoi Official (@Manangoi_lion) April 4, 2022
“Right now, your competition is training.” pic.twitter.com/xSKM9og4da
His comeback coincides with that of former world 1500m champion Asbel Kiprop who was expected to feature at last weekend's police event but was no show.
"There is definitely competition as there are younger runners who have come up. Kenya is home to the best millers in the world and I will need to work hard to get back to the top," He concluded.
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