NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 11 – After three weeks of training in Brazil, the national women’s volleyball team Malkia Strikers will play their first friendly match against local side Osasco Voleibol Clube as they step up preparations towards the World Championships.

This will be the first friendly match for Paul Bitok’s girls who travelled to Brazil for a month-long training camp two weeks ago. The camp is funded by the world governing body FIVB.

“We will play our first friendly match this Friday where we will try see whether we can put into practice everything we have been training on as we conclude the third week of training. We want to be playing at least one friendly match every week in the entire duration of our training,” Bitok told Capital Sports from Brazil.

The tactician says they have been working on the defensive aspects of their game, as they look to polish the grey areas that have been Malkia’s Achilles Heel for a long time.

“We have worked on reception and blocking, two things that have been giving us problems over the years. Now what is remaining is putting together all the specifics we have worked and now heading to the third week, we will be doing the combination with attack,” Bitok said.

He adds; “The first two weeks have been really intense and now this third week will be very important.”

Malkia will be in Brazil for two more weeks before they travel to Serbia for another full month of training, then move to the Netherlands where their World Championship group will be located.

The tactician says the motivation is high among the players and everyone is itching to put theor best feet forward and earn a starting role in the team.

“The players are really working hard and the morale is high. The spirit in the camp is really good and everyone is committed. We just hope that at the end of training and getting into competition, we will have good results,” the coach said.

Malkia have attached themselves a target of historically making it into the second round of the World Championship and Bitok believes it is a massive possibility.

They have been drawn in Pool A alongside the hosts Netherlands, African rivals Cameroon, Puerto Rico as well as European giants Italy and Belgium.

The top four teams in each pool advance to the second round and Kenya will look to win at least two matches, to assure themselves of a historic qualification.

The post Malkia to play first friendly match in Brazil this week as Bitok praises players’ sacrifice, hard work appeared first on Capital Sports.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 11 – Angela Okutoyi on Saturday made history, becoming the first ever Kenyan to win a Grand Slam, when she clinched the doubles title at Wimbledon alongside her Dutch partner Rose Marie Nijkamp.

The duo saw off the Canadian pair of Kayla Cross and Victoria Mboko by two sets to one to clinch the history setting victory in the British Capital London.

And now, Okutoyi has revealed just how the two met and decided to double up for Wimbledon, after she was initially knocked out in the singles in round one.

“First of all I am happy grateful for her to choose me to play doubles with her. She was in the qualifiers when she texted me on Instagram and she asked me if I could play doubles with her and I had no partner so I was like why not let’s play? And then the next day she was like “Angie I have a surprise for you, I am in the main draw!” I was like Yeeeey!” an excited Okutoyi said after the two clinched the title.

The duo started the match on a low with the Canadian girls taking the first set 6-3 in 27 minutes. Okutoyi and Nijkamp however fought back and in 32 minutes forced a tie breaker with a 6-4 victory in the second set.

They were not easily pushed off the lead and won the tie breaker 11-9 to not only win the match and the title, but also walk majestically on the road of history.

She now hopes that her victory in London will inspire even more Kenyans to take up bigger challenges in the sport. Okutoyi has been on a history-setting roll this year.

In January, she became the first ever Kenyan to reach the third round at the Australian Open. She moved on to the Roland Garros where she reached the second round and now, made it even bigger in London, with a doubles victory.

“To be honest I am really proud to have this title with her and it will mean a lot to all the Kenyans out there and Africa as a whole. Now, I am able to inspire the young kids out there in Kenya. Now, I am able to put a belief in them that yeah, we can do this! I want to see more Kenyans here next time,” an excited Okutoyi said

She flies back home Monday night and her focus will be on another possible history setting feat at the US Open Juniors which is scheduled from August 29.

The post It started in the DMs: Okutoyi reveals how Instagram message teamed her up with Nijkamp appeared first on Capital Sports.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 11 – Shabana FC’s hopes of earning promotion back to the top tier after decades in lower divisions suffered a massive blow after losing 3-2 to Mwatate United and stumbling in their hope of battling for third place with Muhoroni Youth and Muranga Seal.

Shabana were banking on a third place finish to earn a right to the relegation and promotion play-off against Wazito FC who finished 16^th in the FKF Premier League, but with the sunset days of the National Super League approaching, their hopes are slowly fizzling out.

The high tensed match saw Mwatate score two penalties, and more drama followed in the last minutes of the match with two players sent off.

Meanwhile, Muranga seal were 1-0 winners over SIlibwet to improve their bid for third spot.

Muhoroni Youth also firmed up their race to get back to the FKF PL after a well worked 3-0 win over Gusii, with Fred Waguda, Abubakar Suleiman and Reagan Ochieng getting a goal each.

In other matches, Kisumu All Stars and Vihiga United played for a 2-2 draw while Kibera Black Stars defeated Mombasa Elite 2-0.

APS Bomet remain top of the standings and they are just four points away from achieving a first ever promotion to the FKF Premier League.

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 12 – The men’s 3000m steeplechase is one of the most anticipated races at this weekend’s World Championship in Oregon owing to the fierce track rivalry among the bigwigs in the race.

World champion Conseslus Kipruto will be seeking to restore Kenyan pride – as well as announce himself big after a considerable amount of time out of the international limelight – by successfully defending his title at the iconic Hayward Field at the University of Oregon come July 18.

However, Moroccan Soufiane El Bakkali – who he beat at the last edition of the World Championship in Doha in 2019 – will be keen on adding a world title to his medal collection, which is topped by an Olympic title.

His win at last August’s Tokyo Games was a rude shock to Kenya, which has for the last five decades established themselves as the kings of the men’s 3000m steeplechase.

The history of this race is incomplete without the mention of Kenyan-born legends who have brought so much glory to the country by dominating major international events.

Names, such as, triple world champion Ezekiel Kemboi, 1992 Olympic champion Matthew Birir, 2000 Olympic champion Reuben Kosgei and 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Richard Mateelong, among others, are examples of steeplechasers who have enhanced Kenyan profile as a giant of the race.

Apart from Kipruto, Kenya will be represented in the water-and-hurdles race by Olympic bronze medalist Benjamin Kigen, 2016 African bronze medalist Abraham Kibiwott and Leonard Bett.

The talk among Kenyans, going into the contest, is that Oregon represents a chance to redeem the country’s image, dented badly when Bakkali kicked away powerfully in the last lap to walk home with gold.

“It was painful to see us lose our Olympic title because this race (3000m steeplechase) has always belonged to us. I was disappointed to miss out on Tokyo and fail to defend my title. These are some of the things that have motivated me to work hard and to want to defend my world title in Oregon,” Kipruto said in a previous interview.

However, it is not only Bakkali that the Kenyans will have to deal with but also Ethiopian Lamecha Girma who won silver in Tokyo.

The 21-year-old also boasts a silver from Doha in 2019 and will surely be dreaming of inheriting the world crown from Kipruto who he beat by nine seconds to win at the Rome Diamond League.

Kipruto, on that occasion, timed 8:08.76 to finish fourth as Kibiwott was the highest-placed Kenyan, clocking 8:06.73 in second.

Another Ethiopian to watch out for is 2019 All Africa Games silver medalist Getnet Wale, who finished third at last month’s Rome Diamond League, only a second behind Kibiwott.

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 12 – As far as reputation is concerned, no one can argue that Sifan Hassan is one of the greatest female long-distance runners to grace the game.

Her powerful kick in the last lap is one that many of her opponents in the 10,000m, 5,000m and 1,500m are all too aware of. Once the Dutchwoman surges ahead, there is no catching up to her as was evident at last year’s Tokyo Olympics.

Hassan brought the world to its feet when she competed in the women’s 5000m and 10,000m, claiming in gold in both races easily and establishing herself as a long-distance giant.

However, what would have been a perfect outing was blighted by an exceptional performance from double Olympic 1500m champion Faith Kipyegon whose equally powerful pace in the last lap denied Hassan a third gold at the quadrennial games – having to settle for silver.

Kipyegon would repeat the same feat at the Diamond League series, walking away with the overall trophy for the women’s 1500m ahead of the Ethiopian-born runner.

With this background story in mind, the three-and-a-quarter lap race promises to be a firecracker at Hayward Field, the venue of this weekend’s World Championship in Oregon.

Hassan will be keen to successfully defend the title she won three years in Doha, Qatar and in the process gain her pound of flesh for that loss in Tokyo.

In Doha, the world champion clocked 3:51.95 to take top honour as Kipyegon came second in 3:54.22.

The Olympic champion is optimistic of a good showing and said she will draw upon her win in Tokyo as inspiration for her bid for a world title.

“My focus when I go there is to bring back gold…the last time in Doha I lost to Sifan and once again, we are going to meet. So, I am hoping for the best and I trust in myself that everything will work out well. Being a world championship, anything can happen,” Kipyegon said during the national trials for the World Championship and Commonwealth Games at Moi Stadium, Kasarani.

Indeed, it would be naivety to imagine that Hassan and Kipyegon are the outright favourites for the world title.

Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay, who clinched bronze in the same race in Doha, is one to look out for, having set the second fastest time this year, courtesy of the 3:54.21 clocked at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene.

The World Indoor 1500m champion and world record holder’s last meeting with Kipyegon was in Eugene during which the latter clocked the world’s leading time of 3:52.59 on her way to victory.

The Kenyan contingent also comprises Africa 1500m champion Winnie Chebet, Ednah Jebitok and Judy Kiyeng.

Chebet will no doubt be buoyed by her successful defence of her African title at the African Championships in Reduit, Mauritius last month.

A podium finish will be the perfect icing on the cake and a chance for redemption after bowing out at the semis in the Olympics.

The final of the race is scheduled for July 18.

The post Battlelines drawn in Oregon as Hassan eyes revenge on Kipyegon appeared first on Capital Sports.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 12 – Newly -crowned Wimbledon girls’ doubles junior champion Angela Okutoyi landed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Monday night to a heroin’s welcome, one that is usually synonymous with gold-medal laden athletes when they land back home.

Traditional dancers, dignitaries and ordinary Kenyans gathered around the arrivals bay at the airport, eager to catch a glance at the latest history maker in town.

Okutoyi became the first ever Kenyan to win a Grand Slam when she clinched the girls double at Wimbledon alongside her Dutch partner Rose Marie Nijkamp.

The duo recorded a  3-6, 6-4 and 11-9 win over the Canadian duo of Kayla Cross and Victoria Mboko at Wimbledon.

The youngster was elated over the win and described it as a huge milestone in her career on grass.

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 13 – African record holder Ferdinand Omanyala is a worried man as he is yet to receive his visa to the United States, two days before he takes to the track for his first race at the World Athletics Championship in Oregon.

Omanyala is still in the country with a huge number of athletes having already departed and he is worried that he is facing another race of his life, to get a visa for his first ever World Championship appearance.

“I have remained with the TM and we are still waiting to hear from them. They told us they would be calling us and so it is just a matter of time. Of course it is worrying because my first race is on Friday and this is a long flight,” Omanyala told Capital Sport.

He adds; “It takes almost 22 hours to get there and as a sportsman you need sometime to rest and also train a bit to shake the jet lag. Looking at all circumstances and my first race being on Friday, I am just hoping I can leave today (Wednesday) so that I get there Thursday night and rest up a bit.”

The Kenyan 26-year old qualified for the World Championships early after clocking 9/85secs to win the Kip Keino Classic. At the National Trials, he clocked 10.04secs under heavy wind, but still ran within the qualifying time.

He is hopeful that he will be able to get his visa on time and travel to chase his dream of a World Championship medal.

“I will still remain focused. These are challenges that as an athlete you need mental strength to overcome. Hopefully I get there and put on a show as always,” he added.

Omanyala had said he targets to reach the final at the World Championships and vie for any medal, having reached the semis of both the Olympic Games and the World Indoor Championships earlier this year.

The preliminaries of the 100m start on Friday at 12:30pm and the Kenyan is on a race against time to ensure he gets his visa on time and travels.

The post Omanyala worried as visa delays his departure to Oregon, two days to race day appeared first on Capital Sports.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 14 – Double Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon says she is not done yet with Dutch hotshot Sifan Hassan and wants to assert revenge and reclaim her 1500m World Athletics Championship title in Oregon this week.

Kipyegon finished second behind Hassan at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar, where she timed a then national record of 3:54.22.

She relinquished the title she had won two years back in London. But now, having thrown down her marker at the Tokyo Olympic Games where she obliterated Hassan, Kipyegon is a girl on a mission to complete the double with the Worlds in Eugene.

“My hope is to bring back the gold medal that I lost to Sifan in 2019. I am looking towards a good championship and though I know it will be tough, I am ready to do my best and bring it home,” Kipyegon told Capital Sport.

At the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Kipyegon totally outdid Hassan who was seeking an unprecedented triple haul of titles after erstwhile clinching the 5,000m and 10,000m.

The Kenyan smiling assassin did so in style, clinching her second title in a row in a new Olympic Record time of 3:53.11.

With Hassan expected to come out all guns bl;azing in Oregon, Kipyegon has her in her sights. The Kenyan has managed her races this season and hasn’t gone into too many races as she sought to preserve her energy to reclaim her crown.

She also bypassed the chance of doubling at both the Worlds and Commonwealth Games. She did not compete in the 1500m at the Trials and only ran in the 800m to pump up her pace, finishing second behind Mary Moraa.

She had been in a dilemma on whether to run the 800m in Birmingham for the Commonwealth, but later dropped the ambition. She also earned the time to do both the 1500m and 800m at the Worlds.

“I have it in my heart and I am focusing on the World Championships. I was thinking of doubling but now I am only focusing on 1500m because there are many strong athletes coming up,” Kipyegon said.

She starts her campaign on the opening day of the Championship on Friday and will compete in Heat Two.

The post Determined smiling machine Faith Kipyegon aims revenge on Sifan Hassan to reclaim World title appeared first on Capital Sports.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 14 – After days of agony and distress, African record holder Ferdinand Omanyala will finally travel to Eugene, United States 6pm Thursday, slightly over 24 hours to his race at the World Athletics Championships.

Omanyala got his visa on Thursday morning and Athletics Kenya (AK) officials were in a race against time to find him the fastest flight route to the United States.

“I can confirm that we have managed to get a 6pm flight for Omanyala and he will arrive just in time for his race,” Athletics Kenya Executive Committee member Barnaba Korir told Capital Sports.

The 100m race is on the cards on the opening day of the Championship, with the preliminary rounds set for 10:30pm. Due to his time of 9.85secs clocked at the Kip Keino Classic, Omanyala heads straight to the heats which start at 4:50am Kenyan time.

Omanyala’s Expected Time of Arrival (ETA) is at 4pm Oregon time, which is 2am Kenyan time, only two and a half hours before his race.

Omanyala will now look to turn the hustle into strength to make history as he looks to become Kenya’s first ever sprint medalist at the World Championships.

“By this morning, it looked to be very difficult and at some point we had given up on it. But I told him if he gets the visa and gets a flight that gets him there even 100 minutes before the race, he should go and compete. He is a tough lad,” his coach Duncan Ayemba told Capital Sports.

The post Bingo! Omanyala finally gets visa, set to travel to Eugene this evening appeared first on Capital Sports.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 14 – Preparations for Team Kenya’s departure for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham are in high gear despite the tedious process associated with visa application and accreditation.

Chef de mission (CDM) of the team, John Ogola, said collaboration among various stakeholders has ensured that the arrangements for travel on course.

“I am very grateful to the support extended to my office as the CDM to ensure that no athlete misses the opportunity to compete at these games. This includes, but is not limited to, the accreditation process and visa application. It has been long and tedious but we are making good progress,” Ogolla said.

Ogola revealed that the first batch of athletes to the club games will depart for the United Kingdom whereas the last batch will leave on July 25.

He said the travel plans have been informed by the need to minimize the risk of COVID-19 infection within the contingent.

“We have decided to stagger the travelling schedule because we need to be aware of and pre-empt any health issues that may emerge,” Ogola, also the secretary general of Kenya Weightlifting Federation, said.

“We have met the critical timelines for the games and are all set to go. We are in constant communication with the organisers of the games for any information to share with the athletes on anything they need to act upon,” he added.

Kenya will be represented by 127 sportspersons across various disciplines, such as badminton, athletics, para-athletics, triathlon, weightlifting, judo, wrestling, hockey, basketball and 3×3 women’s basketball, among others.

With the games set for July 28 – August 8, Ogola additionally said athletes who will have completed their competitions will immediately return home in time for the General Election, set for August 9.

He was speaking on Thursday morning at Kasarani Stadium Indoor arena during the unveiling of a Sh14mn sponsorship by Kenya Breweries Limited towards the team.

KBL managing director John Musunga announced that Sh5mn will be in cash while the remaining Sh9mn will be in kind.

He noted that the massive improvements in sports administration has brought back corporate sponsors to the sector.

“I have to applaud you. A few years back it was rare to see big corporates involved in sports due to the management structure. But, things have improved massively and we had no hesitation coming on board to support the team. If you continue the same way, then I am sure more corporate sponsors will stream into the sector,” Musunga said.

He also recalled with nostalgia his younger days when he used to watch the Commonwealth Games.

“What I’ve seen in the past years as I grew up was that the Commonwealth Games was our field. The pressure is on you to deliver. Yes, the Olympics are always a bit tough but Kenya has always excelled in the Commonwealth, particularly athletics,” Musunga said.

“We wish you well as you train, prepare and compete but we are expectant. Even if you don’t get a medal, the fact that you went and competed is something we will cherish you for,” he added.

The post Commonwealth Games travel plans on course to avert possible visa crisis appeared first on Capital Sports.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 14 – African record holder Ferdinand Omanyala says the visa hiatus that has rocked his boat towards the World Athletics Championships in Oregon will not deter his determination and has vowed to give his best once he lands and sets his spikes on the starting blocks in Eugene.

Omanyala received his US visa late Thursday morning, slightly over 24 hours before the heats of the 100m gun off in Eugene. Athletics Kenya has managed to secure a 6pm flight for his departure from Nairobi, arriving in Oregon 4pm Friday, two hours and 40 minutes before race time.

“First of all it is a relief. It has been a tough last few days. The first target now is to get there on time, hoping there are no more issues along the way. I want to thank everyone who has worked hard to see this possible. At some point yes I thought it was never going to happen but I always felt that a breakthrough would come,” Omanyala told Capital Sport.

“I would like to thank the President Uhuru Kenyatta, the Government through the Ministry of Sports and CS Amina Mohamed and PS Joe Okudo for all the effort they put to ensure that I get both the US and UK visas despite everything that was going on,” Omanyala added.

He also says; “She (CS Amina) has been working from last night to have this done and I want to thank her so much. I also want to thank the US embassy for expediting. I am sure they did this out of a clean heart.”

He adds; “I hope to get there on time and once I step on the blocks, I will give everything to be on the finish line. Yes it has been tough but it has not deterred my focus. I will use this as a stepping stone to give me more strength for the race.”

The 26-year old has been booked a business class seat to ensure he gets as much comfort as he needs and gets to Eugene a bit better than if he had been on an economy seat.

Though he believes it is a tough call for him to be at the blocks fresh, he hopes for the best.

“It is a challenge of course, to ensure that I have shaken off the jet lag and all. But I thrive under pressure and I love challenges. I am sure I will get over this,” he added.

Omanyala is the third fastest man in the world this year, having clocked 9.85secs to win the Kip Keino Classic in May.

At the World Champs, he admits it is going to be tough as he faces two of the fastest men this year, led by American Fred Kerley who timed 9.76secs for a World Lead at the USA Trials last month.

“My primary target is to get to the final and then from there we see. Of course now it is harder, but I will do my best. My dream is to get a medal for Kenya in the 100m,” he added.

After early Saturday morning (Kenyan time) Heats, Omanyala will hope for a top three finish and then prepare for the semis. He will have at least 24 hours of rest and recovery between the heats and semis if he achieves to get the requisite time.

The post I will forget everything and focus on the finish line, says Omanyala after finally landing visa appeared first on Capital Sports.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 15 – Kenya’s hopes of hosting the senior World Athletics Championships for the first time ever have been quashed after World Athletics announced that Tokyo will host the 2025 edition.

Kenya had placed a bid to host the 2025 showpiece, but World Athletics boss Sebastian Coe in a statement announced Tokyo have been handed the hosting rights.

The Polish city of Silesia and Singapore had also placed bids to host the 2025 editions, but, the Japanese Capital which hosted last year’s Olympic Games have won the bid .

“Within an extremely strong field of candidates to host the World Athletics Championships 2025, Tokyo offered a compelling bid. I hope this will be a shining light for Japan as they celebrate 100 years of the Japanese Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF) in 2025, by bringing world-class athletics back to the people in Tokyo,” Coe said in a statement.

JAAF President Mitsugi Ogata responded: “We are immensely proud that World Athletics has demonstrated its confidence and trust in Japan to host the 2025 World Athletics Championships. Together with World Athletics as one team, we will capitalise on this opportunity to showcase the best possible global event for growing our sport to a higher level.

Kenya had remained confident of hosting the showpiece after the successful hosting of the World Under-18 Championships in 2017, the World Under-20 last year as well as three editions of the Kip Keino Classic, a leg of the World Athletics Continental Gold Tour.

President Uhuru Kenyatta was on the forefront on championing Kenya’s bid to host the event, which would have meant Africa hosting the 10-day Championship for the first time ever.

“Because of the infrastructure we have developed, we are very hopeful we are well prepared that in 2025 our country will have the pride and pleasure of hosting the first World Athletics Championships to be held on the African continent,” the Head of State had said earlier in May.

Kenya will now re-think whether it will submit a bid for the 2027 showpiece.

The post Kenya loses bid to host 2025 World Athletics Championships appeared first on Capital Sports.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 15 – The World Athletics Senior Championships gun off in Oregon, Eugene on Friday with Kenya having the possibility of winning medals in two events on the opening day, with the men and women’s walk, but all eyes will be on the second session when Ferdinand Omanyala competes.

Here is Kenya’s Day One itinerary in Oregon.

11:10pm – Women’s 20km walk

Kenya will be represented in the walk by the evergreen Emily Ngii. She is the reigning African champion, having clinched the title during last month’s Championship in Mauritius. She also won silver in the event in 2014.

1:10am – Men’s 20km walk

Samuel Gathimba, 34, another walking race veteran will be Kenya’s representative in the race. He has won the African title three times in a row; 2016, 2018 and last month in Mauritius. He won silver in 2014.

He is also a bronze medalist from the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast Australia.

He returns to the World Championships hoping for a better performance, having finished 33^rd in the 2019 showpiece in Doha, Qatar.

3:15am – Men’s 3,000m steeplechase Heats

Kenya’s journey towards reclaiming the steeplechase king’s crown will start at 3:15am Saturday with the heats. Kenya lost the Olympic title for the first time in almost four decades last year in Tokyo, and talk has been about Kenya losing its stature as the kings of the water and barriers race.

Leonard Bett, the 2018 World Under-20 Championships silver medalist and Abraham Kibiwott, the 2018 Commonwealth Games silver medalist will line out first in heat two.

Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali is also in this Heat.

Reigning champion Conseslus Kipruto who has been on a steady return from injury will be in Heat Two and will compete with Ethiopian Lamecha Girma who has been giving Kenyans tough time at the Diamond League.

Hillary Bor, a Kenyan turned American, will also compete in heat two.

Olympic bronze medalist Benjamin Kigen will be in Heat Three and among the competition he expects is from American Evan Jager.

4:10am – Women’s 1500m Heats

All eyes on Kenya’s prospects will be on double Olympic champion faith Kipyegon who is on a journey to recapture the title she lost to Sifan Hassan in 2019.

Kipyegon will compete in Heat Two and will be one among five athletes with a sub-four time. Close contenders among her will be Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu and Australia’s Jessica Hull

Judith Kiyeng will be the first Kenyan on the track, as she competes in Heat One.

In Heat Three, the duo of African champion Winny Chebet and 2017 World Under-18 bronze medalist Edinah Jebitok will line up and hope for some hands-on teamwork to sail to the semi-finals.

4:50am – Men’s 100m Heats

All eyes will be on this race for Kenyans, and it is the first time ever that a country will be so much looking forward to a 100m race at a Major Championship.

African record holder Ferdinand Omanyala will be making his debut and the attention on him has been multiplied after the tribulations he has faced before travelling to Oregon.

Omanyala received his visa late and will arrive in Oregon just two hours, 40 minutes before the race. The Heats will be planned immediately after the preliminary rounds which gun off at 10:30pm.

Will he manage to shake off the jet lag and battle for a place in the semi-finals?

The post Here is Kenya’s itinerary on the opening day of the World Athletics Championships appeared first on Capital Sports.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 15 – Former Sofapaka midfielder Wisdom Naya has succumbed to complications that arose from the amputation of his leg due to a cancerous tumor on his knee.

Naya was pronounced dead on Friday morning at a Kitale hospital where he had been rushed to on Thursday night with breathing complications.

The youngster was amputated in January this year in India after he got diagnosed with cancerous soft-tissue Sarcoma in December 2020.

He started off his medication in Kenya with several chemotherapy sessions part of which was financed by his former club, before he was referred to India, where his leg was to be amputated to get rid of the cancerous section.

However, after return, he had complications until he rested on Friday morning.

The midfielder was signed by Sofapaka straight from High School after impressing for Kitale-based St. Anthony’s High School, helping them to the 2018 Copa Cocacola U16 title and was also a key figure for the side as they won the senior title in 2019.

The Kenyan football sphere was united in mourning the youngster, taken before his flower could bloom.

The post Former Sofapaka midfielder passes away after battle with cancer appeared first on Capital Sports.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 16 – Defending champion Conseslus Kipruto led the duo of training partner Abraham Kibiwott and Leonard Bett into Monday’s 3,000m steeplechase final at the World Athletics Championships as Kenya missed out on a walking race medal on the opening day in Eugene.

Kipruto finished a comfortable second in Heat Two while Bett and Kibiwott finished second and third in Heat One, with Olympic bronze medalist Benjamin Kigen missing out after finishing seventh in Heat Three.

Meanwhile, Kenya missed out on walking race medals with Samwel Gathimba finishing juts outside of the top three in the men’s 20km after coming home fourth while African champion Emily Ngii finished a distant 30^th in the women’s race.

Gathimba timed 1:19:25, just seven seconds shy of a bronze medal place, beaten to it by Sweden’s Perseus Karlstrom. The Japanese duo of Toshikazu Yamanishi and Koki Ikeda finished first and second respectively.

Kibiwott and Bett were first out on the track in Heat One, lining up alongside reigning Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco.

The pack remained a huge ball of competitors until three laps to go when the field began to disintegrate into a single file, Kibiwott and Bett starting to show intent.

At the bell, Ethiopian Getnet Wale and El Bakkali pulled away with the Kenyan duo strongly on their shadows. At the home straight, the two started to gather pace and at the final water hurdle, they came through the outside of Wale to secure the two automatic qualification slots with El Bakkali winning.

Bett timed 8:16:94 to come second while Kibiwott clocked 8”17.04. This was the quickest heat with the Olympic champion winning in 8:16.65.

Meanwhile, Kipruto showed his prowess with a second place finish, also sneaking in to an automatic qualification slot after running on the outside after the final water hurdle, edging out Kenyan turned American Hillary Bor.

Kipruto and Bor seemed to be working on a game plan all race long.

Ethiopian Lamecha Girma, who Conseslus beat to the title in Doha in 2019 by a hundredth of a second sat at the top of the field with two laps to go.

At the bell, France’s Mehdi Belhaj came in to try spoil the party and Conseslus let him enjoy himself at third until the final barrier.

The Kenyan sneaked in the outside from fourth, gliding past the Frenchman and Bor with a wide smile on his face, securing an automatic ticket to the final.

Kigen, who also struggled during the trials and finished outside the top five but handed a chance by the selectors, struggled after slipping in the final water hurdle to finish seventh.

With the CVs on the starting line, Kigen was a huge favourite to win the Heat. It looked like he would settle for the top three heading into the final water hurdle but he slipped to cut down his pace as he breathed at second.

He had come all the way from sixth at the bell to second, but after the slip failed to recover in time with Hailemariyam Amare of Ethiopia winning in 8:18.34 as homeboy and Tokyo silver medalist Evan Jager came second in 8:18.44. India’s Avinash Sable sneaked in the final automatic qualification at third.

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 15 – Double Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon easily cruised into the women’s 1500m semi-final at the World Championships in Eugene Saturday morning as she won her Heat in 4:04.53, leading compatriot Winny Chebet into tomorrow’s race.

Kipyegon was in control of the race in the final two laps, having played second fiddle behind Japanese Nozomoi Tanaka, carefully calculating her kicks.

At the bell, the Kenyan who is seeking to reclaim the title she lost in 2019 moved to the front of the pack with Australian Jessica Hull and Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu frantically chasing her shadow.

At the home straight, sure that she was among the automatic qualifiers, Kipyegon eased down her pace and even in jogging form, none of the chasers could get to her.

Hull finished second in 4:04.68 while Hailu was third in 4:04.85.

Meanwhile, African champion Chebet also qualified automatically after finishing second in her heat. Chebet moved from fifth to second after running on the outside in the final 50m to easily secure a ticket to tomorrow’s semi-final.

She clocked a season’s best time of 4:03.12, finishing second behind Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay who timed 4:02.68.

Two other Kenyans, Judith Kiyeng and Edinah Jebitok missed out on qualification after finishing ninth in both their Heats.

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Nairobi, Kenya, Jul 15 – African record holder Ferdinand Omanyala beat off immense jet lag and huge psychological barriers to storm into the 100m final at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene early Saturday morning after finishing third in his Heat.

The Kenyan, ninth fastest man in the world over the distance arrived in Eugene barely three hours to his start time and ensured he did the bare minimum, making it into Sunday’s semis.

Omanyala clocked 10.10secs to finish third in Heat Seven and make the semis.

The African record holder left Nairobi Thursday at 6pm and was in the biggest race of his life, to get to Eugene in good time and compete.

And, the organizers did a tad favor for him after lining him out in the last heat, which was gunning off at 5:32am EAT, handing him a few extra minutes to rest and recover.

He went straight to the venue from the airport, where he was met by Kenyan officials and the steeplechase team which was warming down just after their race welcomed him to the competition arena.

Heading to the blocks, his usual smile wasn’t as natural as it has always been and he looked a man keen to squeeze in the last ounce of energy to make the semis.

He started slow off the blocks but picked up after 40 metres, ensuring he remained within the top three automatic qualification slots.

Abdul Hakim Sani Brown won the race in a season’s best time of 9.98secs while Australia’s Edward Osei-Nketia set a new National record, finishing second with a 10.08secs time on the clock.

The semis are scheduled for 4am Sunday morning (EAT) and Omanyala will be hoping to be fit and fresh for a historic place in the final.

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 16 – Kenyans will have an opportunity of starting off their medal haul at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, Eugene, on the second day of the competition with a blockbuster battle expected between Hellen Obiri and reigning champion Sifan Hassan in the women’s 10,000m final.

Below are the events that Kenyans will participate in on Day Two.

8:35pm – Women’s 3,000m steeplechase Heats

With three of the four men already having booked their tickets to the final on Saturday morning, it will be the women’s turn to do it all when they take to the track.

Interestingly, reigning world champion and world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech has not been listed on the start list despite having been named in the team.

In her absence, Kenya will rely on new blood to defend the title. Jackline Chepkoech, 18, the World Under-20 champion from Nairobi last year will be first off the track and she competes in Heat One.

Purity Kirui, the 2014 Commonwealth Games champion will line up in Heat Two and will be competing alongside reigning Olympic champion Peruth Chemutai of Uganda. Also in this Heat is Ethiopian Mekides Abebe.

Former World Under-18 and Under-20 champion Celiphine Chespol will be the last Kenyan on track for the water and barrier race and will compete in Heat Three.

10:20pm – Women’s 10,000m final

This will be one of the most anticipated races of the morning session, with a battle expected between Hellen Obiri and reigning champion Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands.

Hassan beat Obiri in both the 5,000m and 10,000m titles at the Olympic Games and the Kenyan 33-year old will be keen to lay revenge on the World stage.

Kenya has not won the title since 2015 when Vivian Cheruiyot reigned supreme in Beijing China. Obiri however said her concentration was mostly on the 5,000m, but would try get a medal in the 10,000m.

Having been slowly transiting to road running, she has been working mostly on her endurance and will hope that can lift her off the shadows of the Dutch lady.

Margaret Chelimo and Sheila Chepkirui will be the other Kenyans in the race and they might opt for teamwork to down Hassan.

11:20pm – Men’s 400m Hurdles

Kenya will have a solo representative in this race, USA-based Moitalel Mpoke. The 2017 World Under-18 silver medalist has been training and studying in the USA for the past four years and will hope the experience of feeling at home will aid him to make it into the semi-finals.

He has been lined up for Heat Three.

4am – Men’s 100m semi final

This will be one of the races with the biggest interest both on home soil in the USA and back here in Kenya. All Kenyan eyes will be on African record holder Ferdinand Omanyala.

The 26-year old just managed to squeeze in to the semi-finals after finishing third in the Heats, just three hours after arriving in Eugene. He clocked 10.10secs, a slow time by his standards, but a massively creditable results bearing circumstances.

He has been lined up in Heat Three where competition will not be short. He will have homeboy Marvin Bracy and Jamaican Oblique Seville to deal with. Both won their heats, Bracy clocking 10.05secs while the Jamaican dropped a sub 10, timing 9.93secs.

Omanyala’s focus is now more on the physiotherapy with good rest and recovery, good warm up and an explosive kick.

4:30am – Men’s 1500m Heats

Reigning World Champion Timothy Cheruiyot will be the key focus in this race as he looks to successfully defend his crown. Cheruiyot had early season problems with injury but has grown fit if his performance at the National Trials is anything to go by.

He lines up in Heat One.

Charles Simotwo and Kumari Taki will headline Heat Two where the biggest threat is Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen while on form Abel Kipsang, fourth placed finisher at the Tokyo Olympic Games battles out in Heat Three.

5:05am – Women’s 1500m semi-finals

Defending champion Faith Kipyegon easily breezed through the Heats on Saturday morning and she will be out to punch a ticket to the final on Sunday. She lines up in Heat Two alongside Ugandan Winnie Nanyondo.

African champion Winny Chebet will be the focus in the first Heat, having finished second in her Heat earlier on.

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 16 – Lawrence Cherono, the 2019 Boston and Chicago Marathon champion is out of the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon after a provisional suspension by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) following a positive test for a banned substance.

The AIU revealed the information Saturday evening, meaning Cherono will not compete in the men’s marathon, leaving Kenya with only two competitors, Geoffrey Kamworor and Barnaba Kiptum.

According to the AIU, a sample collected from Cherono tested positive for trimetazidine, a substance that is prohibited under the 2022 WADA Prohibited List as a metabolic modulator.

The AIU further states that substances in this category modify how the body metabolizes fat. Trimetazidine is approved for use in some countries to treat chest pain stemming from a lack of blood supply and oxygen to the heart.

It is a non-specified substance, and a provisional suspension is mandatory following an adverse analytical finding for such a substance under the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules unless certain conditions apply.

The AIU collected Cherono’s sample during an out-of-competition test on May 23, which was then analyzed by a WADA accredited lab in Lausanne.

Cherono was notified of the positive test on Thursday last week when he arrived in Eugene in readiness for the World Championships where he formed the three man Kenyan team.

He was provided with an opportunity to show cause to the AIU why he should not be provisionally suspended.

Having considered Cherono’s submission made on Friday, the AIU has then determined that a provisional suspension should apply with immediate effect.

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 16 – Kenya opened its medal count at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon on Saturday night with Hellen Obiri and Margaret Chelimo winning silver and bronze in the women’s 10,000m.

In a dramatic sprint finish, Obiri was second in a personal best time of 30:10.02, just inches away from a gold medal with Ethiopia’s World Record holder Letesenbet Gidey clocking a world-leading time of 30:09.94 for golkd.

Chelimo settled for bronze, also settling for a new Personal Best time of 30:10.10 in one of the closest finishes ever in a 10,000m race.

Pre-race favorite and defending champion Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands was edged out of the medal brackets and finished fourth.

The other Kenyan in the race, Sheila Chepkirui did not start after failing to travel due to visa issues.

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