Paris Olympics 2024: Kidali eager to honour his late father with a medal

Kenya's 800m athlete Koitatoi Kidali (right) with his pacemaker during a training session at Nyayo Stadium on Thursday. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

After losing his father in 2022, budding 800m runner Koitatoi Kidali was devastated. He did not know the trajectory his career would take then as this was the man who introduced him to athletics at a tender age.

Kidali looked up to his father Likiok, a former 400m runner, who inspired and supported him the best way he could to ensure his athletics dream took off.

 Two years after his father, who introduced him to the game in 2012 while still in primary school, had passed on, Kidali has found solace in coach Sylvester Nakeel.

Nakeel stepped in, not only to be his personal trainer, but to also fill the father figure gap that was tearing Kidali’s life apart.

With the help of Nakeel, Kidali has managed to qualify for this year's Olympics in Paris where he will be representing Kenya in the men's 800m.

His qualification for the Summer Games was far much by surprise as he did not match the titans who were lined up at the trials held at Nyayo Stadium last month on paper.

"I give thanks to God and coach Nakeel who worked on my mental strength, I did not even celebrate the podium finish in the trials because I too was equally stunned, I could not believe it," Kidali told Standard Sports.

Kidali will represent Kenya in the Olympics alongside World silver medallist Emmanuel Wanyonyi and double Commonwealth Games champion Wyclife Kinyamal.

His target will be to reach the finals, and then starts his medal hunt from there.

"Should I win any medal, that will be dedicated to my father. He is the reason I'm running today," Kidali said.

The Olympics is a great redemption for the 22-year-old who missed to represent Kenya at the World U-20 Championship in 2022 in Cali, Colombia despite finishing second in the trials.

"The World U-20 trip had issues that were beyond my control, so I let it go, but I'm grateful that I now have a better chance to even showcase my talent to the world, and I give thanks for it," he stated.

Kidali wants to make his first Olympic debut very memorable and this is the reason he is training hard at Nyayo so as to leave no stone unturned.

"I'm putting all my efforts to do better in Paris, we want to see results of all this labour, a medal will be the ice on the cake," he said.

Currently, Kidali is working to strengthen his mental faculty as he strongly believes the battle is won in the mind before you step on track.

"Speed and endurance too are key, so I'm looking for enough gas that will carry me all the way from the heats, semis to the finals," he underlined.

Does he have any game plan with his compatriots Wanyonyi and Kinyamal for Paris?

"Not yet, I think everyone will use their own tactics and prowess to forage for a medal in France," he stated.

In order not to feel burnt out, Kidali has cancelled all races that were in line for him ahead of Paris.

In the next five years, Kidali is dreaming to be a more disciplined, dedicated and reasonable athlete as he believes these are the virtues that will grant him value additions as far as being a World or Olympic champion or a record holder is concerned.

Though started his career as a sprinter, Kidali moved to the two-lap contest as he saw great opportunities in 800m.

But he insists he will not craft his niche in 800m alone. His plan is to move with age, he will shift goal posts to 1500m, 5000m,10000m and eventually marathon in that order as he grows older.

Kidali comes from a family of six. He is the only one who embraced running after his father in the family.