Kenya: Kenya Juniors Shine in South

Chris Musumba

14 May 2011

Nairobi — Youngsters Geofrey Kirui, Hillary Maiyo and Gilbert Kirui clinched gold as Kenya took a firm grip on the second overall position behind bigwigs South Africa in the Africa Junior Athletics Championship which ends on Sunday in Gaborone, Botswana.

Kirui won the 10,000 metres race in 27:55.74, a fast time for a junior level competition, just 15 seconds off the qualifying mark for the senior world championship.

Africa cross country junior men’s champion Nicholas Togom secured silver in 28:23.22 and Uganda’s Thomas Ayeko (28:27.54) bronze.

Sabre-rattling Ethiopia

A sabre-rattling Ethiopia came in fourth and fifth through Muktar Edris Awel (28:44.95) and Bonsa Dida Direba (28:58.68).

Kenya’s Maiyo (3:35.43) and Geoffrey Barusei (3:35.54) made a 1-2 in 1,500m, ahead of Ethiopians Soresafida Jana (3:36.38) and Zebene Alemayehu Bekele (3:37.49), Morocco’s Abdelhadi Labali (3:40.54) and Uganda’s Emmanuel Sasia (3:42.83).

Alphas Kishioyian (46.71) gave Kenya a rare 400m bronze as compatriot Jeremiah Mutai (47.06) came fourth in a race won by Sudan’s Sadam Koumi (46.37) while Nigeria’s Japhet Samuel (46.45) won silver.

In the 400m hurdles, Mutai finally got onto the medal podium with the silver, edging out South Africa’s Shaun Van Yk (51.96).

Mutai clocked a personal best time of 51.93 behind gold medal winner Abdelmalik Lahoulou (51.69) of Algeria while Kenya’s Christopher Ngetich (52.27) was fourth.

On Thursday, Kenya swept the medal podium as Gilbert Kirui (8:25.03) and Jairus Kipchoge (8:28.08) won the 3,000m steeplechase in world junior-leading time.

Uganda’s Jacob Araptany (8:30.63) settled for bronze ahead of Ethiopia’s Habtamu Jaleta Fayisa (8:32.35) and Morocco’s Jaouad Chemlal (8:57.90).

Kenya had lost out to Ethiopia in the 3,000m flat race as Azemra Gebru Hugos (9:11.84) claimed the gold and compatriot Waganesh Mekasha Amare (9:16.82) the bronze, sandwiching Kenyan Purity Cherotich (9:14.58). Nancy Kathure (9:41.94) was fourth.

In 800m, Uganda’s world junior bronze medallist Annette Negesa (2:04.94), a dominant figure in the local athletics weekend meetings, struck gold to avenge her Kenyan rival Cherono Koech’s (2:06.49) bashing in Moncton, Canada, last year.

Ethiopia’s Alem Gereziner Gebremariam (2:07.16) won the bronze.

AllAfrica – All the Time