Chris Musumba
9 November 2009
Nairobi — Athletics Kenya has cautioned athletes against complacency in the build up to the 2010 Africa senior championship to be held in Nairobi from July 28 to August 1 at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.
David Okeyo, the AK secretary general, and also the local organising committee chief executive, said though Kenya will be hosting the event, it will not give special entry to its athletes who fail to make the cut set by the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA).
"We want to have a lbig team because we are the hosts. But athletes must realize that they have their own part to play. Qualification standards must be met and no athlete will be entered if not qualified according to the entry standards," said Okeyo.
AK has since sent out an advisory notice on entry standards to its coaches and athletes to start early preparation so as they can qualify to participate in Kasarani.
While the middle and long distance track athletes might not be affected owing to their international standards, it will be a major test for the field events and sprinters to showcase their form and gain favour from the fans.
All qualifying marks attained from January 2009 to July 13 next year will be admissible as long as they were achieved during an official competition organised in conformity with IAAF Rules.
Already, AK has sent two athletes on Olympic Solidarity sponsorships to High Performance Training Centres in Dakar, Senegal and Mauritius. National women 400m champion Joyce Zakary will be the latest to join Julius Bungei (400m hurdles).
Zakary, a member of the Kenya Police based in Embu, represented Kenya in Berlin World Championship having posted a personal best time of 51:56 in Abuja, Nigeria at the Pan Africa athletics meeting in June.
Ever since Ruth Waithera competed at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, Kenya has failed to get another runner at the international scene. Kenya Prisons' Elizabeth Muthuka qualified for the Beijing Olympics, but she was dropped from the trip to Asia silently after testing positive to banned substance.
Okeyo conceded that the local organising committee was yet to open a banks account owing to the slow government bureaucracy.
"Currently if we need any money, we have to request the permanent secretary in the ministry of sport to provide. This will go on as long as we face this scenario," said Okeyo.
However, it might never work with the sponsors.
At the same time, LOC has given the government until January 31 to have a live screen installed at Kasarani. This will be one of the equipments that need to be bought before the games start.
"We are also liaising with the IAAF to see what they can offer us in equipment. But the ministry tender committee will be meeting soon to discuss which equipment to buy out of the Sh40 million assigned to it," said Okeyo.
Qualifying marks:
Men - 100m- 10.21/10.44, 200m-21 .O/21.24, 400m-46.5/46.64, 800m-1:47.30, 1,500m-3:39.00, 5,000m-13:30.00, 10,000m-28:38.00, 110m hurdles-14.00/14.24, 400m hurdles- 50.8/50.94, 3,000m steeplechase 8:36.0. Women - 100m-m 11.7/11.94, 200m-24.0/24.24, 400m-54.6/54.74, 800m-2:06.00, 1,500m-4:21.00, 5,000m- 16:18.00, 10,000m- 35:20.00, 100m hurdles- 14.00/14.24, 400m hurdles-59.5/59.64,
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