allAfrica.com: Kenya: They've Task of Restoring Country's Image (Page 1 of 2)

Few questions were raised when AK secretary, David Okeyo, went through the annual ritual of naming the national team mainly because the squad that will feature in the 36th IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh on March 30 has the air of unpredictability.

Most established stars that featured in Mombasa last year where Kenya won two individual titles and three team honours fell at the March 1 trials in Ngong and others on the day the team was unveiled in Kigari.

What was left is a squad that has a curious mix of debutants, seasoned runners and few remnants from Mombasa 07.

It has the extra burden of restoring the country's soiled image abroad after post-election skirmishes that claimed lives and displaced hundreds of thousands.

Men's senior 12km

Gideon Ngatuny, Mark Kiptoo (Captain), Hosea Macharinyang, Joseph Ebuya, Bernard Kiprop, John Thuo, Augustine Choge, Moses Masai and Leonard Komon.

Two new faces, team captain Mark Too and John Thuo are the surprise inclusions in the most prestigious and toughest race at the World Cross.

The High Performance Training Camp, Iten based Thuo, 22, finished sixth at the Ngong trials and impressed the coaches at the Kigari camp to get the nod ahead of 2006 World Cross short race silver winner, Isaac Songok and 2005 junior bronze medallist and last year's 34th finisher in Mombasa, Barnabas Kosgei.

Kiptoo is making his debut at the belated age of 32. The Armed Forces athlete, who has gone to peace keeping missions in Burundi, came second in Ngong and has displayed better form than most of his younger teammates in training.

Joseph Ebuya, Moses Masai and Leonard Komon are making their step-up to the senior rank after appearances as juniors. Komon won silver in Fukuoka 2006 and finished fourth in Mombasa last year while Masai finished seventh in Saint-Daimler, France in 2005.

Ebuya returned fourth in Fukuoka as well as winning silver (10000m) and bronze (5000m) at the Beijing World Junior Championships the same year.

Augustine Choge the 2005 world junior champion returns to make his second national team senior appearance but first in the 12Km race.

Choge, who finished seventh in the short (4Km) race at the 2006 Fukuoka World Cross, came a poor 25th at the March 1 national trials but justified his wildcard inclusion by AK by impressing the coaches in Kigari for a place.

Mombasa bronze winner, Bernard Kiprop, national cross-country champion, Gideon Ngatuny who finished fourth and Hosea Macharinyang who came fifth retained their places in the senior team.

It's difficult to predict the team's fortunes in Edinburgh and its best bet for gold although Ngatuny edges it due to his experience and powerful display at Ngong.

Kiprop, Ebuya and Komon are the other medal prospects with Kiptoo, Thuo, Choge, Masai alongside Macharinyang offering adequate backup.

The task at hand is to stop Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia) from winning a sixth title, deny Zersenay Tadese (Eritrea) a successful gold medal defence and retain the team title they won in Mombasa.

Women's senior 8km

Grace Momanyi, Linet Masai, Doris Chengeiywo, Linet Chepkurui, Margaret Wangari and Priscah Jepleting.

Another shocking line-up with Priscah Jepleting who returned seventh as the only survivor from Mombasa after Vivian Cheruiyot (eighth) was dropped.

Jepleting who also won senior short race silver in Fukuoka gained her place as a wild card entry after watching the trials from the stands.

However, the team's almost perfect blend between senior athletes and graduates from last year's triumphant junior side in Mombasa creats exciting prospects that Kenya will produce champions in the race its runners perform poorest at the World Cross.

The country has won only six senior titles and has only one individual gold medallist in Hellen Chepngeno (1994) to date.

Last year's junior champion, Linet Masai, Doris Chengeiywo and Linet Chepkurui adds fresh legs to the team as well as 22 year-old Kenya Police recruit, Margaret Wangari, who finally broke into the national side since her first attempt as a junior in 2003.

Assistant captain and surprise national cross-country champion, Grace Momanyi, who has never finished any international race she has entered outside the top two remains the hottest tip to break Ethiopia's hegemony in the event.

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