Going for gold with China

Kenyan athletics seeks to branch out into field events

Kenya has unveiled its team that will head to Beijing for the 2015 IAAF World Championships this month.

A list of about 48 athletes was revealed after two days of national trials, which saw the inclusion of names such as former world marathon record holder Wilson Kipsang and current record holder Dennis Kimetto in the final list for the sporting event.

Other top global names coming to China are David Rudisha, the 800m London 2012 Olympics champion and world record holder. The trial was a dramatic event for him as he finished second after Ferguson Rotich outpaced him in the last 200m, despite leading the pack from the start.

Another interesting twist involved Ezekiel Kemboi, three-time world champion and double Olympic champion, in the 3,000m steeplechase for men when he emerged fourth. However he received automatic entry into the Beijing-bound team as the defending champion. Despite his defeat, he broke into his famous jig to the amusement of the crowd.

The new Kenyan sensation Julius Yego is also coming to China. Yego smashed the African and diamond records at the IAAF Birmingham Diamond League meeting in June, when he threw the javelin 91.39 meters.

Although field events are less prominent than track ones, Yego is an enthusiastic competitor.

"I am excited to represent Kenya once more," says the soft-spoken sportsman, whose dramatic rise has been attributed to personal training.

His rise has put a spotlight on Athletics Kenya, the sport's governing agency, and raised questions about why the country is not performing better in track events.

Athletics Kenya is taking the challenge in its stride, and there are discussions about diversifying. Although its athletes are getting more opportunities to compete, Kenya is witnessing competition from other nations, notably during the IAAF Diamond League.

"We have seen other countries investing heavily in areas that Kenya has traditionally dominated, such as the 3,000m men's steeplechase. In July, during the Paris Diamond League, Evan Jager, the United States national record holder, gave us a run for our money and would have won if he had not tripped over the last hurdle," says Isaac Mwangi, CEO of Athletics Kenya.

He says countries such as France, the US and Italy are investing heavily in the 1,500m event, going all the way to 5,000m, as they try to oust Kenya from its stronghold.

"We have to try and find a way of ensuring that we remain at the top when it comes to medal standings. Discussions are ongoing with the technical team on how best to continue maintaining this position."

One of the proposals under consideration is an increased focus on less-practiced disciplines in Kenya.

"We have seen Yego steadily improve his performance. We have three other athletes emerging in the same discipline, together with hammer and discus. Our athletes are also excelling in sprints, evident during the IAAF world relays in the Bahamas in May 2014," says the CEO. "It is a legacy we are seriously embarking on."

He does not think it is too late to change tack because the IAAF launched a world relays event last year and the discipline will feature in the 2017 world athletics championships, which will be hosted by Kenya.

"This gives us the necessary impetus to invest in these disciplines. We have just concluded a two-week training sessions facilitated by the IAAF where we are trying to build our coaches' capacity," says the CEO, who is the first holder of a position created by Kenya's new constitution.

The move is challenging, but Mwangi considers it an ideal avenue to further collaborate with China. The diversification comes at a time when the Asian country has brought its women's national team to train in Kenya and learn lessons from its champions.

"We help each other technically, in terms of them coming down to train and us assisting them through our technical personnel. We now want to deepen the cooperation. China is renowned for its quality equipment and facilities. We would like to explore this front," says Mwangi.

He says the two governments have cordial relations in other areas and it is time the sports industry takes them to a higher level.

"We hope to come to an agreement of partnership with the Chinese government through the federation. We believe in developing track and field competitions starting from elementary schools. We have already identified regional centers such as Kipchoge Kipkeino stadium in Eldoret, and Uasin Gishu county in North Rift Valley and we are working with local governments to make land available," he says, adding that there is ongoing cooperation with Elgeyo Marakwet, Uasin Gishu and Nandi counties.

These counties are considered the bedrock of long-distance running.

Currently, the country has only one high-performance center in Eldoret, in a town in Uasin Gishu county, but there is need for another one in Iten, which is 3,200 meters above sea level, and another one to be situated in a low-altitude area, which will be ideal for track and field sports.

According to Elgeyo Marakwet's governor Alex Tolgos, the county budget limits their efforts to provide modern facilities for the sporting community there. In the past two years, the local government has improved roads where athletes train to minimize injuries.

Moreover, it is upgrading existing locations such as Kamerin, which dates back to the early 1950s. The stadium had been neglected, even though it is a favorite spot for athletes. According to Tolgos, the local government is investing in the development of changing rooms, washrooms and a pavilion.

The governor intends to build a sporting facility in each of the four sub-counties. "We want to boast world-class training grounds that will make it a popular destination."

He says Iten has several ideal locations for high-performance sports facilities. "In Marakwet West, there is an area called Kipsait, which I think is the highest point in this region, as it is 3,200 meters above sea level, and we have tried to improve the roads there, too."

He says it is an ongoing project that has buoyed the sporting community. "We also want to build another stadium, as the existing one is solely for training. We want to put it in a low altitude area because we realized that most of the international competitions are done in these kind of conditions."

He says the plans are ambitious considering the budget allocation. However, he believes that they will be a good investment given that Iten is currently attracting foreign national teams for training. "Our national team normally camps here, and this definitely boosts the status of the town," says Tolgos.

He says existing modern facilities are used by athletes who have won international competitions. "This has provided employment to our youths who have not taken to running."

Tolgos says that he has been in contact with about 50 Chinese investors interested in the hospitality sector and that the only thing holding him back is the current private-public partnership legislation. It is not very clear, he says, adding that efforts are being made to simplify direct investments to counties.

"I believe it will take about eight to 10 years to get a return on the investment for putting up modern sporting facilities here."

David Okeyo, Athletics Kenya's vicepresident in charge of administration, competition and international affairs, believes that the partnership with China will happen soon.

"We have not put anything on paper yet but the Chinese are our very good friends, not only to the federation but to the nation, too. We are looking forward to signing a partnership agreement so that we can work toward improving the sport."

He says Chinese equipment is good, as is the country's capacity to build ultramodern facilities, such as the Kasarani Sports Complex that was funded and built by China in 1987. Recently, the country donated funds for its refurbishment.

In its move to diversify, Okeyo believes Kenya will gain immensely because China has made headway in several disciplines. "They are also good in technical strategies, an area that is dynamic and very competitive. We have won the bid to host the world championships in 2017, and we are very keen on track and field sports."

He says cooperation in sport is not new, as Chinese athletes visit Kenya for long-distance training. "This has improved our image tremendously and sends the right signal about Kenya. Kenya has produced champions before and more are emerging," he says, adding that besides the climate, environment and food, foreign athletes also get to train with champions.

Kenya should also start emulating China by nurturing track and field talent early. It even has schools that focus on nurturing good sportsmen, he says. "As the chairman of the World Cross Country Committee, I visited Guiyang (in China's Guizhou province) and visited some schools. This allows me to have a strong basis when I advise our government."

lucymorangi@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 08/07/2015 page8)