Sports Buzz

Tag: East Africa

  • Kenyans Reap Big in Malaga, Stramilano Half Marathons

    Kenyans Reap Big in Malaga, Stramilano Half Marathons

    Gilbert Kiprotich and Loice Chemnung won as Kenya dominated the podium of the men and women’s races at the Malaga Half Marathon in Spain on Sunday.

    Kiprotich clocked 58:27 to take first place, ahead of fellow countrymen, Patrick Kabirech Mosin (58:44) and Richard Yator (1:01:21) who finished second and third respectively.

    Japan-based Kiprotich was running his first official race this year, following his last in November last year.

    On that occassion, the 24-year-old timed 27:19.35 to finish third in the men’s 10,000m at the Hachioji Long Distance competition in Hachioji, Japan.

    One-two Kenyan finish

    On the other hand, Chemnung timed 1:05:46 to top the women’s race, ahead of another Kenyan, Miriam Chebet, who clocked 1:07:01 in second.

    Ugandan Joy Cheptoyek completed the podium in third, clocking 1:08:00.

    Victory in Spain was the perfect comeback for Chemnung who failed to finish in her last race at the Osaka Women’s Marathon in Japan on January 26.

    Furthermore, her time on Sunday was 12 seconds faster than last year’s edition of the same competition when she cruised to victory.

    Chemnung’s other victory this year was at the Kenya Prisons Cross Country Championships where she clocked 33:09.7 to win the senior women’s 10km race.

    Mwangi, Gesare shine in Milan

    Elsewhere, Simon Mwangi and Morine Gesare won the men and women’s races respectively, at the Stramilano Half Marathon in Milan, Italy.

    Mwangi clocked 1:00:54 to cut the tape, ahead of Rwandese Yves Nimuboma who finished second in 1:01:18.

    The 2016 Africa Cross Country bronze medalist Charles Mneria finished third in 1:02:08.

    In the women’s competition, Gesare led a podium sweep for Kenya, timing 1:08:47 in first place.

    Stellah Chebet came second in 1:11:19 as another Kenyan, Monicah Chebet Chepkwony, clinched third in 1:11:25.

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  • Kenya: Ejore Through to 1500m Final At World Indoor Champs in China

    Kenya: Ejore Through to 1500m Final At World Indoor Champs in China

    NAIROBI — Kenya’s Susan Ejore qualified for the finals of the women’s 1500m at the ongoing World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China.

    The United States-based runner clocked 4:12.41 in Heat 1 of the women’s 1500m on Friday afternoon to book her ticket in the final.

    Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay won the Heat after stopping the timer at 4:11.87, ahead of second-placed Sinclaire Johnson of the United States, who ran 4:12.18.

    Ejore joins Lilian Odira, Noah Kibet and Alex Ngeno who secured their berths to the semi-finals of the 800m on the opening day of the global showdown.

    Odira clocked 2:04.46 to finish second in Heat 1 of the women’s 800m, won by Portugal’s Patricia Silva who ran 2:04.44, in a tightly contested race.

    Ethiopia’s Habitam Alemu also qualified from the same race after clocking 2:04.48 to clinch third place.

    On the other hand, Kibet — the 2022 World Indoor silver medalist — timed 1:48.31 to finish second in Heat 4 of the men’s 800m.

    American Josh Hoey triumphed in 1:48.14 as Italian Giovanni Lazzaro came third in 1:48.75.

    Ngeno also finished second in Heat 5 of the men’s 800m, clocking 1:48.17, behind winner, Jakub Dudycha of the Czech Republic, who stopped the timer at 1:48.04.

    Poland’s Patryk Sieradzki also qualified after clocking 1:48.20 in third place.

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  • Kenya: Omanyala, Otieno to Fly Kenyan Flag At South African Athletics Meet

    Kenya: Omanyala, Otieno to Fly Kenyan Flag At South African Athletics Meet

    NAIROBI —  Commonwealth Games champion Ferdinand Omanyala will be in contention at the Athletics South Africa (ASA) Grand Prix in Pretoria on Wednesday evening.

    Omanyala will be running in the men’s 100m where he will be competing against six other sprinters, including fellow countryman, Mark Otieno.

    Other foreigners in the race include Zimbabwe’s Makusha Ngoni and Boitshwarelo Mothusi of Botswana.

    After Wednesday’s race, Omanyala will then shift focus to the ASA Grand Prix II, set for Johannesburg on March 19.

    The two competitions will be first international races this year for Africa’s fastest man since September last year when he clocked 10.07 to win the men’s 100m in Brussels.

    The 2022 African champion was in action at last weekend’s second leg of the Athletics Kenya (AK) Track and Field Weekend meeting in Thika where he clocked 10.02 to win Heat 2 of the men’s 100m.

    However, the competition seemed to be more of a warm up for Omanyala who did not run in the final.

    His compatriot, Otieno, will also be running in his first international race since August when he competed at the Wieslaw Maniak Memorial in Poland.

    On that occasion, the former national champion clocked 10.60 to finish third.

    Otieno also competed in his first-ever international assignment for the country ever since he was slapped with a two-year doping ban.

    He clocked 10.42 to finish fifth in the semi-final of the men’s 100m at the African Championships in Douala, Cameroon in June last year.

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  • Kenya Lauded for Giant Steps in Fight Against Doping, GBV

    Kenya Lauded for Giant Steps in Fight Against Doping, GBV

    World Athletics president Seb Coe is proud of the efforts Kenya have made in curbing doping.

    Coe says the global governing body have been impressed with the commitment of Athletics Kenya (AK) and government of Kenya in eradicating the vice.

    “I know the Athletic Integrity Unit, which is the independent organization within World Athletics that monitors and conducts all our testing programs, is very satisfied by the progress that is being made. The funding made available by the Kenyan government has been extremely helpful in this fight,” Coe said.

    For all its gargantuan status in world athletics, the doping vice remains a huge headache for Kenya, having been lumped into the dreaded Category A of country’s notorious for the practice.

    Eight years after earning this unenviable categorisation, the country continues to struggle with the vice even as stakeholders continue to tighten the screws on would-be culprits as well as those caught in the practice.

    To add salt to the wound, the Kenyan athletics has also been bedevilled by increasing cases of domestic violence/gender-based violence (GBV), involving athletes.

    Reflecting on the emerging threat, Coe admitted the GBV is not alien to Kenyan athletics but nonetheless noted the potential of sports as a vehicle to create awareness about the vice.

    “And the second key area, and the very prominent challenge, is gender-based violence, not entirely or uniquely linked to sport, but recognizing that we can use sport as a way of raising the profile of this challenge,” the world governing body boss said.