Eldoret Skating Club geared up for inaugural speed championships

Eldoret Skating Club is set to host the inaugural speed skating championships slated for December 3 at Zion Mall Street in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County.

The club which has been nurturing skating talents in the athletics-rich Eldoret town for three years now, will be using this tournament as a gauge of their efforts.

Speaking to Mozzart Sport, the club's coach Martin Wangila noted that they left nothing untouched in making the inaugural event a success.

Wangila revealed that the event has attracted more than 300 skaters, with a team of 30 skaters from Kampala, Uganda set to feature.

In addition to that, more than ten counties have confirmed participation.

"We are expecting between 300-400 skaters. A bigger team will be coming from Eldoret with 50 skaters. We also have teams from Nakuru, Nairobi, Mombasa, Kericho, Siaya, Bungoma, Kitale, Nyeri, and Kisumu. We also have an international category like Uganda (30). Skaters from Rwanda have not yet been confirmed," Wangila offered.

The coach also confirmed that the medals had been imported from China, and were imprinted with the event's name, a major highlight in the inaugural episode. He added that traffic was in order for the 15km race.

Daniel Sikuta opens up on his Canadian adventure

"We have been shipping the medals from China. We have been in talks with the county government of Uasin Gishu to give us the Zion Mall space and also the road for the 15km race. We have been talking to the traffic police who have agreed to help," he pointed out.

Wangila also noted that his charges were thoroughly sharpening claws to make history as the first winners of the event. He noted that they had boosted their technical bench to three trained personnel who include skaters-cum-coaches.

The club will also be using this competition to weigh their skills ahead of the 10th Uganda for East Africa Speed Skating Championships.

"We have a team of 15 coaches. We have three categories of training; beginners, intermediate, and pros. We have been focusing on pros to ensure they do intensive training. As time goes on, we will reduce the training to help them with muscle recovery. Intensive training includes going to Soy for the 42 kilometers every Sunday where we train their speed," he averred.

Expressing satisfaction with the journey the club has walked, the coach was grateful to the county government of Uasin Gishu for their support, noting that they were aiming to represent Kenya in the Olympics in the future.

Engin Firat lauds Rooney's offensive prowess

The club was formed in 2020 to help shield children and adults from the tough economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic but has since nurtured more than 100 talents in Eldoret.

"We have involved our county government, which is a new thing as we push the growth of skating. It is playing a major role in assisting us," he concluded.

Eldoret Skating Club won the Kitale and Kisumu roller skating competitions and was among the top five finishers during the Kenya National Speed Skating Championships held in Nairobi. They will be looking to replicate the same form come December 3.