Omanyala leads Kenya’s team to continental championships

A total of 636 athletes will converge today at Cote d’Or National Sports Complex in Reduit, Mauritius for the 22nd edition of the Africa Senior Athletics Championship. 257 women and 379 men will participate. This is one of the best participations ever recorded since the first edition of the African Athletics Championships. 

The biggest delegation is South Africa team, with a contingent of 90 athletes, almost attaining gender parity by having 47 women and 43 men.  Mauritania and Burundi have one athlete each - Mauritanian Serigne Salio Dia (100m) and Burundian Bienvenu Wendlasida Sawadogo (400m hurdles).  Kenya delegation has a contingent of 55 athletes (25 women) and (30 men). 

Among the most prominent athletes in the championship, will be Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala, the world leader in 100m with 9.85, clocked last month during the Kip Keino classic International Meet. 

The world junior 100m champion and record holder, Letsile Tebogo from Botswana, will also be a star to watch. He recently bettered the world junior record of American Trayvon Bromell (9.97) with 9.96 in Gaborone in April. Botswana’s quarter-miler Bayapo Ndori (44.88), the only African to have achieved

 a sub-45 second this year will be targeting a first African title after his bronze medal at Tokyo’s Olympics last year with his teammates in the 4x400m relay.  More finalists from Tokyo Olympics will also be present in Mauritius this like Ethiopia’s Mekides Abebe, fourth in the women’s 3 000m steeplechase, in search of a first African title over this distance, although already gold medalist at the All-Africa Games (2019) and the African Junior Championships (2017). 

Nigeria’s Tobi Amusa, fourth on 100m hurdles in Tokyo, will be there to win a second consecutive African title. Her teammate, Ese Brume, long jump bronze medalist in Tokyo, will go in search of a fourth consecutive senior’s continental title, after 2014, 2016 and 2018. And in search of a sixth consecutive African title, including her two junior titles in 2013 and 2015.