World-conquering Team Kenya feted

Cabinet Secretary for Sports Ababu Namwamba hosted Team Kenya to the World Athletics Cross Country Championship to a celebratory breakfast on Wednesday morning at Weston Hotel.

The team had landed early morning after a stellar performance at the global event held on 18 February, where the 28 athletes that had travelled for the showpiece managed to bag the overall gold medal.

Kenya managed six gold medals, including team titles, two silver and two bronze for ten medal haul to finish ahead of Ethiopia and Uganda who had nine and eight respectively.

Team captain Kibiwott Kandie in his speech thanked the ministry and federation for the support the athletes had in the lead up to the competition, saying it played an important role in the performance displayed.

World Cross Country Championships: Chebet bags senior gold in dramatic finish

“We are grateful for the support we were accorded. We had the best travel arrangements and were one of the only two teams that had a hotel in Bathurst as opposed to boarding at the village located at one of the universities.

We had to replay such proper treatment with good results and we are happy that all 28 of us came home with a medal. This performance is a testament of what good preparations can achieve and as we begin the journey to Budapest for the World Championships, the world should be ready for more of this. Kenya still is top of the world and we will strive to keep the flag hoisted high up,” Kandie offered.

To top the world, Kenya claimed two individual titles, the mixed relay title and three team titles. Commonwealth Games 5,000m champion Beatrice Chebet led way, upgrading her junior title to the senior women’s 10km gong in spectacular fashion. Agnes Jebet followed her home in third place for bronze.

Kenya’s other individual gold came from teenage sensation Ismael Kirui who guided world Under-20 1500m world Reynold Cheruiyot to a Kenyan 1-2 finish in the junior men’s 8km race as Pamela Kosgei claimed bronze in the women’s Under-20 6km contest.

Despite missing out on an individual medal in senior men, two-time champion Geoffrey Kamworor found some consolation in the fact he led the senor 10km team to gold, his first senior men’s team title in five World Cross appearances.