Nairobi Star (Nairobi)
William Njuguna
10 May 2011
NATIONAL cross country junior champion Janet Kisa wants to add the Africa junior title to her impressive resume when the championships begin on Thursday in Gaberone, Botswana. The Kenya team is being sponsored by National Bank of Kenya and will depart today for Geberone.
Kisa said despite the limited time in training, the morale in the team is high and the team is quietly confident of winning the overall title. “A good number of us trained during the April holidays and we are in very good shape to win the races we have entered in,” she noted.
Kisa, who is one of the most experienced alongside Purity Cherotich, said running at the cross country event had prepared her for the Africa junior title. “Running at the cross country event was good preparation and for some of us, we will be okay competing on track,” she said.
Kisa is entered in the 5000m and she expects tough competition from the Ethiopians for the event. “I know Ethiopians are going to be our biggest rivals in the event but having run against them in Punta Umbria, Spain and I know what to expect from them,” she said.
Coach Amos Rono said the team has had light training in the past four days at Nyayo Stadium ahead of the championship.”We opted for light but intense training, coupled with a few long runs. The team is in very good shape and we want to do the country proud at the event,” he noted.
Rono said he is expecting fierce competition from the likes of Ethiopia, South Africa and Nigeria at the event. ” I know every team will want to beat us but as a team, we have also stepped up training and we are ready for any team,” the coach said.
Rono said he expects the runners to also do well in the sprints and field events despite the country being associated with mid and long distance.
“I expect our sprinters to well in sprints and field events and I will not be surprised if we won medals in the both events,” noted the coach. Mike Mokamba and Alphas Kishoiyan are entered in the men’s 100 and 200m while Eunice Mueni will fly the country’s flag in the event .
AllAfrica – All the Time
Continued here:
Kisia Confident As Junior Team Departs to Geberone