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The sixth Kip Keino Classic continental tour, will be held today with over 189 athletes from all over the World battling for the top honours at the Ulinzi Sports Complex .
The 2015 World Javelin Champion and 2016 Olympic silver medallist Julius Yego, has emphasised that he is not under pressure to perform but hopes for a good outcome as Kenyan athletes go for the bragging rights.
After a challenging 2024 season, which included an injury scare at the Kip Keino Classic and struggles with sponsorship, he bounced back with a season’s best throw of 87.72m at the Paris Olympics, securing his qualification for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.
However, Yego will face stiff competition in front of home fans from the two-time world champion Anderson Peters from Grenada, who also settled for bronze in last year’s Paris Olympics.
Commonwealth 100m champion Ferdinand Omanyala, who finished second in the Diamond League in Rabat last week behind South Africa’s Akani Simbine, will seek to reclaim his title after finishing a distant 5th last year, as he competes against South Africa’s teen Bayanda Walaza in the last event of the day on Saturday.
Reigning World Under 20 champion Sarah Moraa will participate in the two-lap race against Olympian Lillian Odira and Maloney Shafiqua of Saint Vincent, among other competitors.
Besides the main three events of the day the 400m men final B is expected to be interesting as 8 Kenyans chase the Tokyo World Athletics Championships qualification time.
World Relays bronze medalist David Sanayek,Boniface Mweresa,Kevin Kipkorir,Kelvin Kiprotich,George Mutinda,Brian Tinega,Allan Kipyego and Erustus Mbaluka will run against time as they target the 44.85 mark to seal their tickets.
The 1-day championship will start with both national and discretionary events before culminating with the core events from 4:29pm with the 800m women’s final.
