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Kenyanen klaar voor WK

21 januari 2014 (0 reacties)

Sh36m for Fukuoka winners

Door Peter Njenga

A record Sh36 million prize money kitty has been offered by the IAAF in this weekends World Cross Country Championships at the Umi-no-Nakamichi Park, Fukuoka, Japan. In the last four editions, Ethiopians have returned home a richer lot than Kenyans. It is time to reverse the trend, coach John Mwithiga said shortly after luch time (8am Kenyan time) yesterday.

Lange reis
Mwithiga and colleagues David Leting and Julius Kirwa had earlier checked the weather forecast in Fukuoka for the next five days and ascertained Saturday temperatures would have shot from 11 degrees centigrade yesterday to 17, and it would be cloudy. Temeperatures will remain moderate on Sunday, though it will be rainy in the morning. The only drawback is the biting cold wind, of which they had a glimpse of on the foot of Mt Kenya for the last three weeks. “The team is focused and raring to go,” said Mwithiga before shepherding some of his athletes, selected at random, for dope testing. The rest were transported by bus to the training venue at 3pm, after a steaming meal of hot noddles, vegetables and rice. There were three groups of Kenyans: Kenyans living in Kenya, Kenyan Bahrainis and Kenyan Qataris, at the training venue, all supporting different colours. The Kenyans arrived here via Dubai and Osaka, a marathon 15 hour journey.

Bekele en Dibaba
Athletes dared not speak of their prospects as they are sure the people to beat out of 1,000 runners are two – Kenenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba. “I have Choge, Edwin Soi, Limo, Songok and Biwott,” said Mwithiga. “I have confidence in this team.” Bekele is on the verge of making history, going for a record fifth title tomorrow, and the Kenyans and their Bahrain and Qatari brothers stand between him and greatness. The 23-year-old Ethiopian is rarely beaten in international competition, and the only recent occasion that comes to mind is against Kenyan-born Bernard Lagat at the one mile in the Millrose Games in the United States last February. Besides prestige, the Ethiopian is eying Sh7.2 million on offer in the 4km and 12km races.

De namen
Choge, the youngest and most promising of the Kenyan pair at 19, said training was good and the weather perfect. “The bottom line is that we shall run as a team and decide on how to do it,” said Choge, the 5,000 metres Commonwealth Games champion. Limo, the world champion in the 5,000m and previous winner of the world short course title, has his famed kick to back. Saif Saaeed Shaheen will spearhead the Qatar team, once again meeting Bekele, who beat him at the world indoors in Moscow early this month, but minus Eliud Kipchoge, who is absent. Add the lone Australian Craig Mottram, an outsider, and the race takes an East African face. The person who will open the Kenya campaign, Veronicah Nyaruai, was her usual self, shy and lethal. Sporting the new womens sweater and cap which underlined her youth and simplicity, Nyaruai is short on words but serious in action. Last year, she won a silver, added a gold in the world Youth championships but was shielded from the rigours of senior competition, including the World Championships and Commonwealth Games. Others are Pauline Korkwang, Mercy Kosgei, Pamela Lisoreng, Gladys Chemweno and Emmy Chepkirui. Ethiopia has won the junior womens title four times in the last five years. Defending champion Gelete Burka is absent this year.

© Kenyan News

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Kenyanen klaar voor WK

31 maart 2006 (0 reacties)

Sh36m for Fukuoka winners

Door Peter Njenga

A record Sh36 million prize money kitty has been offered by the IAAF in this weekends World Cross Country Championships at the Umi-no-Nakamichi Park, Fukuoka, Japan. In the last four editions, Ethiopians have returned home a richer lot than Kenyans. It is time to reverse the trend, coach John Mwithiga said shortly after luch time (8am Kenyan time) yesterday.

Lange reis
Mwithiga and colleagues David Leting and Julius Kirwa had earlier checked the weather forecast in Fukuoka for the next five days and ascertained Saturday temperatures would have shot from 11 degrees centigrade yesterday to 17, and it would be cloudy. Temeperatures will remain moderate on Sunday, though it will be rainy in the morning. The only drawback is the biting cold wind, of which they had a glimpse of on the foot of Mt Kenya for the last three weeks. “The team is focused and raring to go,” said Mwithiga before shepherding some of his athletes, selected at random, for dope testing. The rest were transported by bus to the training venue at 3pm, after a steaming meal of hot noddles, vegetables and rice. There were three groups of Kenyans: Kenyans living in Kenya, Kenyan Bahrainis and Kenyan Qataris, at the training venue, all supporting different colours. The Kenyans arrived here via Dubai and Osaka, a marathon 15 hour journey.

Bekele en Dibaba
Athletes dared not speak of their prospects as they are sure the people to beat out of 1,000 runners are two – Kenenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba. “I have Choge, Edwin Soi, Limo, Songok and Biwott,” said Mwithiga. “I have confidence in this team.” Bekele is on the verge of making history, going for a record fifth title tomorrow, and the Kenyans and their Bahrain and Qatari brothers stand between him and greatness. The 23-year-old Ethiopian is rarely beaten in international competition, and the only recent occasion that comes to mind is against Kenyan-born Bernard Lagat at the one mile in the Millrose Games in the United States last February. Besides prestige, the Ethiopian is eying Sh7.2 million on offer in the 4km and 12km races.

De namen
Choge, the youngest and most promising of the Kenyan pair at 19, said training was good and the weather perfect. “The bottom line is that we shall run as a team and decide on how to do it,” said Choge, the 5,000 metres Commonwealth Games champion. Limo, the world champion in the 5,000m and previous winner of the world short course title, has his famed kick to back. Saif Saaeed Shaheen will spearhead the Qatar team, once again meeting Bekele, who beat him at the world indoors in Moscow early this month, but minus Eliud Kipchoge, who is absent. Add the lone Australian Craig Mottram, an outsider, and the race takes an East African face. The person who will open the Kenya campaign, Veronicah Nyaruai, was her usual self, shy and lethal. Sporting the new womens sweater and cap which underlined her youth and simplicity, Nyaruai is short on words but serious in action. Last year, she won a silver, added a gold in the world Youth championships but was shielded from the rigours of senior competition, including the World Championships and Commonwealth Games. Others are Pauline Korkwang, Mercy Kosgei, Pamela Lisoreng, Gladys Chemweno and Emmy Chepkirui. Ethiopia has won the junior womens title four times in the last five years. Defending champion Gelete Burka is absent this year.

© Kenyan News

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