Chris Musumba
5 November 2008
Nairobi — Kenya Commercial Bank has reduced its sponsorship for this year's national cross country championship series by close to Sh1 million.
This has forced Athletics Kenya to scrap the jackpot prize for the ultimate winner in the six rounds.
The AK secretary general, David Okeyo, has also said the national cross country championship and the national trials would be merged to cut down on costs.
This means the national team that will travel to Amman, Jordan for the World Cross Country Championship will be selected on February 21 at Ngong Racecourse.
However, the prizes for each race, where the winner takes home Sh20,000, will be honoured to attract more runners to the championship. The top six finishers in the four categories will be rewarded.
Okeyo cautioned that it was crucial for all elite and amateur athletes to strive to take part in at least four of the six weekend meetings for them to have a chance of enjoying the advantage of consistency during the selection of the team to Jordan.
The new athletics season starts on Saturday at Machakos High School with the first KCB cross country weekend meeting as the country's elite and amateurs line up for the campaign that will see its climax during the World Cross Country Championships.
Arrangements for the six weekend meetings has been finalised, starting with Machakos, Kericho, Meru, Kisii, Nyahururu and Eldoret.
There will also be provincial championships in all the branches, and institutional meetings before the national championships.
The Nairobi branch, which always holds the first event, has been overlooked because they are yet to elect new officials.
For eight years, Kenya's regional rivals Eritrea and Ethiopia have dominated the senior categories at the World Cross Country Championships.
The worst case was last year in Edinburgh, Scotland, where Kenya returned without a single individual title, despite retaining the team title that they have held for 20 years.
After good performance in the Olympics, AK officials are confident this season's campaign will see the national team bring home the overall team title yet again, to make it 26 wins in 36 years, and stake a claim at an individual title across the board.
"Some athletes have been overlooking the local cross country season. But this time we will be vigilant and strict to see that all the big names take part," said Okeyo.
Last season, the Machakos cross country race, which was the second in the series, saw the emergence of Kenya Police's Samuel Kitwara, Christine Kambua, the current world junior 3,000m steeplechase champion, Chebet Cheptais and Mathew Kisorio, a silver medallists at the world junior event in 5,000m.
Okeyo said Kenya faces yet another stern test in athletics as it heads to Amman, Berlin (World Whampionship) and Italy (World Youth Championship). The three events will put Kenya's Olympic show to test.
"After our show in Osaka last year and then Beijing, Kenya will be the country to beat. The cross country will lay the foundation for us and it is important we get it right the first time," said Okeyo.
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