TIP TO COUNTY CHIEFS: AK Nyanza South boss asks governments to set up camps to tap sprint talent

Hop,step and jump.
Benjamin Limo during long jump at Gusii stadium, Kisii county on May 08,2015 on the last day of Athletics Kenya organized games. Athletics Kenya (AK) first Vice President David Okeyo complained of the status of the stadium and urged the county government to speed up in the renovations.(Photo: Denish Ochieng/ Standard)

Athletics Kenya (AK) Nyanza South branch has appealed to the county governments to invest in sports and tap talent that is idle there.

Addressing the media after a successful athletics weekend meeting in Gusii Stadium, AK branch chairman Peter Angwenyi urged the three county governments to use the resources at their disposal to develop sports, establish training camps and build infrastructure to help nurture talent from the regions.

“I am appealing to the county governments of Kisii, Nyamira and Migori to invest in sports. If we had a tartan track at Gusii Stadium, our fans would have watched Olympic champion (David Rudisha) in action.

watching legends

“That motivates them just like kids all over Kenya started a career in athletics after watching legends like Kipchoge Keino, Naftali Temu and Henry Rono,” said Angwenyi.

“While I am thanking (Kisii) Governor (James) Ongwae and his Sports executive for taking their time to attend the event, I am also appealing to them and their colleagues in the greater southern Nyanza to build camps and support athletics and sports in general because there is talent there,” said Angwenyi.

He named athletes like Millicent Ndoro, who is a renowned sprinter and Maurice Thomas, who won silver medal in African Youth Olympics in Botswana last year and was fourth in Olympic Youth in Nanjin, China.

murram track

He also mentioned Damaris Akoth, who won the 100m silver medal in African Youth and the Nyangau siblings, Mike Mokamba and Moenga,  to illustrate that sprinting talent is abundant in the region.

Rudisha, who has been out of action for a while, had wanted to use the weekend meeting to test himself, but the murram track was waterlogged and was too slippery and dangerous following heavy rains pounding the area.

 AK Vice President Dabid Okeyo also urged the county government of Kisii to improve the state of the stadium.

Others who attended the events, which were described as highly successful, are Nairobi AK Chairman Barnaba Korir and officials from the North Rift, Central Rift and South Rift.