This archive report was first published on 3 September 2019.
September 3, 2019
Athletics Kenya President Jackson Tuwei has cautioned young athletes against rushing into road races without proper training, citing it as a major reason behind Kenya's decline in track performances.
Speaking at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Tuwei received the boxing and athletics teams from Morocco who competed in the African Games, where Kenya ranked seventh with 31 medals.
"We are happy for Team Kenya, especially the athletics team, for making us proud once again. However, I would like to advise our athletes to get endurance first before making decisions to graduate from the track," Tuwei said.
Kenya has been struggling in track events, particularly in the 5,000m and 10,000m men's categories, where most athletes have opted for lucrative road races.
Recently, three-time world half marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor won the 10,000m national championship but has opted out of the team for the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar.
Tuwei announced that Athletics Kenya will select the World Championship team on September 12-13, ahead of the competition scheduled for September 27 to October 6.
Principal Secretary for Sports Peter Kaberia praised Team Kenya for their performance in Morocco and pledged more government support.
"We are very happy for the good job you have done in Morocco, and sports being one of the serious sectors in Kenya, we will not relent in our efforts to support every federation," Kaberia said.
