Kenya’s quest for success at the upcoming World Athletics Under-20 Championships has gathered pace after the country’s junior athletics team entered a residential training camp in Nairobi ahead of the global competition in Oregon, USA.
The 23 athletes, made up of 12 boys and 11 girls, have been training at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, after reporting to camp earlier this week.
The championships are scheduled for August 5 to 9, with the team stepping up preparations almost six weeks after earning selection during the national trials at Nyayo Stadium.
Head coach Robert Ng’isirei says the athletes have settled well into camp and are making encouraging progress as they prepare for the championships.
“Since we reported to camp, we have been doing well, the athletes are in good shape, and we hope for a better outing. Currently, we are working on endurance and speed as well as avoiding injuries,” said coach Ngisirei who is optimistic of getting between six and eight gold medals.
Ng’isirei believes Kenya has assembled a disciplined squad capable of challenging for top honours but expects strong opposition from several countries during the championships.
“I have a disciplined and hardworking team that is ready. We expect stiff competition from many countries, unlike before, when we only expected competition from Ethiopia and Uganda. We also have the USA and Australia, and that is why we want to train to be on par with them. ” I’m expecting between 6 and 8 gold medals this time round,” continued Ng’isirei.
The championships will also mark a historic moment for Team Kenya, with the country set to compete in a field event for the first time at the World Under-20 Championships.
African Under-20 silver medallist Kelvin Bii will represent Kenya in the triple jump, while team co-captain Nehemiah Kipng’eno will be aiming to defend the men’s 5,000m title that Andrew Alamisi won for Kenya at the 2024 edition.
With training now in full swing, the Kenyan team will be looking to fine-tune its preparations as it targets another strong performance on the world stage in Oregon.