Strong team to represent country at Para Games
Kenya will field 23 athletes at the 9th World Para Athletics Championships set for November 7-15 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The team will take part in 16 events has seven guide runners and will be accompanied by 10 officials, leaves the country on Saturday.
According to Elijah Mwandihi, secretary-general of Kenya National Paralympics Committee, the team will depart for Dubai early to avoid mix-ups in the 2017 edition in London when the team arrived late and misses classification process.
Mwandihi says despite the players not being able to go for residential camp ahead of the championships due to financial woes, he remains upbeat they will do well in Dubai. He says the championships will be very important as they will double up as for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics qualifiers.
“The government through the ministry of sports was not able to provide funding to help us conduct residential camp. But we have to be happy that the government will foot the team’s expenses including accommodation, meals and flight tickets,” he said
“I am happy that we shall be there early enough before the championships begin. It will be great for the athlete since the classification process will start on Sunday and go all the way to Wednesday,” he added.
Meanwhile, world and paralympics double gold medallist Samuel Muchai says he wants to defend his T11 1,500m and 5,000m titles won from London two years ago.
“Together with my guide James Boit, how main target is to go out and defend our titles. I am aware it will not be easy since other competitors have been preparing well for the championships,” said Muchai.
“The most important thing for me is to take all the athletes seriously even as I plan to defend my title.
