 Djiyo jin Fey IRA yarno suiku bana It looks like Kenyanwe never sleeping when Maskukini is occukohand watu is at vibe no the performance of Señor Nou election maingalooriesi k wellnessis faith Ketepeagon atratendun tuweza lase 28这里 と the Bato loki kenya ja na wa 1 nge li attention People have middle and short distance, unlike long distance which you have been dominant over the years. So the entry of Umanyala and the performance of Faith Kipiagon has really entized the entire country to start following the harmonic. How is this possible? In a weeks time you break 1500 records and a few days later again another record in 5000. How is this possible? Exactly a one week, a seven day period. But if you just look closely how Faith has been performing, just take it way back to BitGos in 2010. She is someone who everyone, those people who are involved in athletics could tell that she is destined for greatness in athletics. Look at the way she ran 1500. After winning Tokyo Gold defending her title, her next move was a world championship which she finally was able to break. And going to seven days later, breaking the 5000 meter race. And the most interesting part was that she was raising again is Gide, who was the record, Gide from Ethiopia. And again the two belong to one camp. They are all managed by Global. So they are people who know each other very well. Gide last year spent most of her entire training season in Kaptergat. And they were just staying in the same camp. So they understand each other familiarity. Is there between the two? And you and I have seen this lady Faith Kipiagon Chepnetic rising through the ranks from a tender age during this world cross country championships. And she is doing right now. Come on. What can this be attributed to? Discipline focus? Or is this just hard work? It's discipline of course coupled by hard work and good management behind her. Patrick Tsang who is a current coach and she moved to Kaptergat in 2019. Since then she has been winning every single race. And again one camp, one management having two now three world records. It shows the dedication this camp have led by Patrick Tsang. Patrick Tsang himself is an accomplished athlete. Actually Patrick Tsang was the first Kenyan to win gold at Kasarani Stadium in 1987. That's during the old African games. And he went ahead and won silver at Barcelona Olympics. Then again won another silver in Stuttgart in 1993. So she is going through the right hands. Exactly. That's my point. Fadinanda Omanyala was the first African 100m run and reigning champion in Commonwealth competition that happened a few months ago last year. Also coming second in last night's Damond League and preparing very well for Budapest. His competitors get scared. Yes, actually you could see the body language of the two athletes. That's Noa and him after the race. You could tell that they respected each other. Omanyala breaking sub 10 finally at the Damond League is a huge performance by him. I was talking to him this morning and he was like man I finally break the 10 second barrier in Damond League. It shows that what is ahead of him definitely anyone who follows sprint is now in the bracket of the finalist at the world championship. He will definitely make it to that final. Running agaist everywhere it's in Marcel Jacobs who finished I think distant 5th, distant 7th and Jamaican. Umu Omanyala keeps telling us every day that he is his mentor and they all trail behind the Kenyan man. Umu at some point everyone thought that probably is winning. Yo actually he started his start from the block was a bit slow because around 5 meters he was last. Then he recovered is very good after 20 meters he laid throughout until 95 meter. That's when Liles took over and finally won the race. So generally it means that you know the athletics in the country is booming worldwide. Despite the problem of doping which is ravaging global world with Kenya also included in the countries that are getting affected massively by this monster. Sports wise athletics is doing us proud. It's actually uniting the entire country. Look at how all Kenyans were behind Umu Omanyala and Faith during the last two meetings. It shows the impact. It shows that Kenyans can really get united by sports. I was speaking to someone this particular morning and he's saying that we should be worried in stipliches. I think we've been dominating before because as we speak right now I think Kenya is fading. Can we restore the lost glory in stipliches which used to be dominated by the likes of Ezekiel Kempohi, Kwencensilas Kiprutu? It's a huge concern especially at the federation those athletes Kenya led by the Ebo president Jack Tway. Their concern at the level of the latest performance is going down by every season. I knew Grima was good but I never anticipated him breaking the world record. The record would have gone to Morocco rather than to our neighbors Ethiopia. It will take time to recover because again middle and long distance they tend to go on road races where there's more money and it's actually money matters that's been able to lower the performance in stipliches. So which means we need to do a lot by putting in place a lot of structures and strategies to revive our heroic performance in stipliches? Yes especially now that we are going to world championship. I believe that athletes Kenya should have select a few the best stipliches runners and put them in a camp probably for two months. It's actually two months to the world championship if they can be placed in a camp and concentrate only on stipliches. I think probably we can get a medal at the world championship but at the moment I can tell you we won't be able to get a medal at the world championship in Agast. Are young stars looking like those who said to take over from Ezekiel Kenpoikon, Censula Skipruto? Yes there are quite a number of young guys coming in probably from under 20 categories. But again I have told you that money matters in long distance especially starting at 3000 stipliches. They rather go to road races which are many and have more returns than wait for them only which starting in May and in August. There are so many road races globally so they rather go to look for money rather than wait for them only series to make money. And you know in terms of fighting doping scourge we saw yesterday president William Ruta at state house during the launch of Kalanta Hela reiterating government's commitment of ensuring that this monster is something of the past that you know having met a world athletics president Sebuko the same message was passed across I don't know from your own perspective having been in athletics for a while I don't know. Can we fight it and bring it? Yes the apparatus that have been put together by the government agencies I think probably with the more money funds coming in to ADAC to fight this scourge I think more testing will means that more people will be caught and at the end will have a clean spot. There is you know that narrative going round saying that you know there is a likelihood even Kenyan heavyweight athletes are involved. It's only that you know they haven't been exposed though that's an unsubstantiated claim. Do you tend to agree with that stereotype? You know the problem you know I mean it's a competition and there are different camps. There's leaders camp, now there's acid camps, there's night camps. All these people they are fighting to one agenda being a global superstar. So the propaganda will be thrown around so you'll never really know the truth. So sometimes the propaganda is about to tarnish opponents' reputation. Exactly. How is Russia doing in terms of fighting this scourge? They were banned at some point. Are they still out right? Rashi, at the moment they are competing individually and it's a status that world athletics has been put probably maybe in the next two years they will be allowed to compete in the country but I know they get a lot of testing, a lot of education is being undertaken. Sensitization programs most of them. So yesterday's performance by our Kenyan athletes led by Faith Kipyagonichepunge tich just coming in the wake of Kipkeno classic which took place in the country I think two weeks ago and I saw you were involved in organising for pitch side interviews for superstars and are we getting to Diamond League as well because there is that push that you know Kenya can be hosting Friday night athletics. Yes, the country, the athletes Kenya was already applied for the event to be upgraded to Diamond League status. Others also feel that we can have a double. We still have continental tour, have Diamond League, probably put the continental tour in Eldoritz then Nairobi to host Diamond League. I mean Kenya is a powerhouse when it comes to sports. I think this month another world rally is happening in this country. The government want to market Kenya around sports. They feel it's easier to market the country through sports, that's what they are doing. And saying that do you also try to advocate for KTB Kenya tourism board to use Kenyan sports scene as a tourism destination centre. You remember that noise that was made when Naomi Campbell was picked to advertise Kenya overseas and when we have the legs of Heliwood Kipchoke, Victor Wanyama, you know. Ya, it's quite cheap to market the country through sports rather than putting multi-billion adverts on global TV stations. I mean the focus should be on the sport. I'm happy that the government have realized that and brought in Talanta Hela which some quota still not really understanding it but I believe that those involved and those who have been mandated to carry out the initiative they know what they are doing. So overall going forward the future looks bright for Kenyan athlete sports genre. And now let's talk about the upcoming World Athletics Championship set for Budapest. Kenya is known for performing very well at the global stage in international championships, Tokyo Olympics, Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and now Budapest knocking the doors. How are the preparations so far? Ya, if you follow the athletes Kenya weekend meets you could see that a huge huge number of athletes are coming in as part of the preparation. And in 2 weeks time, June 22nd to 24th there will be national championship at Nyao Stadium. I believe the attendance will be huge. And actually the likes of Manila have put in their calendar and put it out there outside there. There's national championships. One of the events is looking forward to the preparation towards it I think is good. And like other sporting disciplines like would I use football really? Or probably rugby there has been the problem of transition whenever the heavyweights are retiring and exiting the scene there is a problem of their voids being left being failed. But I think in athletics things have been smooth because David Rudisha left 800 meters and now there is Avi Manuel Wanyoni. Wanyoni is coming in. Wanyoni is very strong in the last 50 meters. Look at his last night, his position at the 50 meters and at the finish line. He is very good. And he is getting good support from Janeth who is coaching him. And other races as well. Javelin we had to get someone like Julius Yehgo. Javelin will take a while. Especially that you can't train. There's no facilities. Let's say if you are a Javelin thrower for you to have a facility you have to come to Nairobi. Coming to Nairobi you know the hustle in Nairobi. You have to maybe probably have someone to stay with or rather they rather just not participate is the lack of facilities. But in general your overall assessment regarding the state of the game, athletics and overall sports in the country. It's good. Look at the performance of Kevin Kiptum. People were saying now Elwood should retire. He's aging. And now Mr Youngster is coming in. That was in London? Yes. He won London and he has been included in the marathon team. So the future is still bright despite the exit of the legs. Yes, other people are coming in. We have got replacements. Yes. Dennis Okeo. Aroba Sports Journalist and Athletics Consultant speaking this particular afternoon joining us to speak about athletics in the country and state of the game going forward ahead of what athletics championship said for Budapest, Kenya is preparing for the championship and looking forward to replicate the aglittering show that we've always witnessed in the past international event. Thank you Dino for coming through all is a pleasure having you on board. Good bro. Thank you. Of course touchline still continues. 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