Coach upbeat his team will deliver at Kip Keino Classic
As the clock ticks towards the Nairobi Continental Tour - Kip Keino Classic - slated for October 3, coach Jacob Lang’at is optimistic his Nyahururu Athletics Club will be well represented at the meet.
Lang’at said he is hopeful at least five athletes from his camp will make it to the meet.
In the proposed protocols unveiled by Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed, athletics has been classified as a non-contact sport and thus is among the first sporting activities set to resume.
“I am glad we’re here now at a time we can start debating on ways of coping with the protocols in place.
It’s a positive sign given the Covid-19 situation affecting the world,” Lang’at said.
With the athletics season having already resumed this month at the Diamond League series amidst strict protocols, Lang’at said while it’s not business as usual yet but there is hope of better things to come.
“Presently I have like seven athletes who have been contacted by Athletics Kenya to race at the Kip Keino Classic,”revealed Langat who talked highly of Collins Kipruto, Kumari Taki, Cornelius Kiplang’at, Tony Kemboi and even the 2017 world U18 steeplechase silver medalist Mercy Chepkurui as some of the athletes under his tutelage and who are likely to feature in the global event.
Lang’at says the invites-only event will also give AK and other coaches an opportunity to assess their preparedness towards the global event.
“As a coach, I am happy most of my athletes who are in good shape are for the specific events that will be included in the classic event.
It will be a great opportunity for them to run in Kenyan soil,” he added.
The Continental Tour is an inaugural one-day event introduced by World Athletics to cater for the events that were excluded from the Diamond League series that include 200m, 3000m steeplechase, discus, hammer and triple jump.
The global event is classified in three categories; Gold, Silver and Bronze with Kenya the only African country set to stage the gold event.
KipKeino Classic is the sixth and final Gold meeting and will be held at the Nyayo National Stadium.
