by Justin Lagat
Athletes on the Kenyan team for the World Relays have finalised their residential training at the Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi ahead of the World Relays Championships in Guangzhou, China, which will take place on May 10-11.
The team leaves for the global event on Wednesday, 7th May at 6:10 pm via Doha to reach China on Thursday afternoon.
Coach Stanley Towet is hopeful they will put their days of tough training to good use when they compete at the seventh edition of the World Relays after he observed remarkable improvements in his athletes.
“Training has been smooth from the word go, and I have witnessed a lot of improvement in the athletes.
“For example, when we started the camp, the athletes were clocking over 12 seconds in the 120m sprints, but this has dropped to 11.5. This gives us hope of performing well in the 4x100m. We have done most of what we expected to, even though we will tune up once in China to shake off the jet lag and acclimatise,” said Towet, adding that he wishes the team would have a longer residential training in the future.
“Relays require at least a month in training to harmonise all the aspects, especially baton flow in the 4x100m.
“The credentials of some of the athletes are encouraging. We have three 4x400m men who have clocked 44 seconds over 400m and three women who have run 51 seconds. We have very high hopes about them qualifying for the World Championships in the 4x400m and the 4x400m mixed relays,” said Towet.
The athletes, too, are in high spirits.
Isaac Omurwa, younger brother to Ferdiand Omanyala, the fastest man in Africa and one of the youngest members of Team Kenya, is thrilled to make his first senior outing. His appetite for glory, not just in Guangzhou but well into the September World Championships in Tokyo, is evident.
“The camp has been good. The coaches and athletes have been cooperative. I can’t complain. We have hopes that we will bring back good results from China. The target for all the athletes is qualification for the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, in September. This is my first World Relay Championships, and I am happy about it. I have a lot of expectations, what to see, what to do. I will be running amongst senior athletes like Omanyala Ferdinand, Wiseman (Were) and Mweresa (Boniface), great athletes who have done great things in the sport. I am looking up to them and they have been telling me what to do and what not to. I have learnt a lot from them,” Omurwa said.
Commonwealth Games 100m champion Ferdinand Omanyala, Olympian Zablon Ekwam, and coach Simon Riga are already in China as part of Team Kenya.
Unfortunately, according to Athletics Kenya media communication, world 800m champion Mary Moraa will miss the championships due to a visa hitch.
