KENYAN athletes are favoured to clinch medals at the highly-anticipated ninth World Junior Championships that kick off on Tuesday.
Nonetheless, they face stiff competition from traditional African long distance rivals Ethiopia.
The World Junior Championships, which takes place in Eugene, Oregon in the United States of America is set to end on July 27.
According to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), about 1 750 athletes drawn from 179 countries across the world will take part in this year’s championships.
Kenya will place hopes on their trump card, Alfred Kipketer, who is still bubbling with confidence following his participation in the Kenyan team which won the 800m relay during the World Relays Championships in Bahama.
Kipketer will be alongside other hard running and hurdle specialists comprising Geoffrey Kipkoech and Stephen Kipkoech, among others.
While Kenya believes in its team, Ethiopians are not taking this competition for granted either as they have assembled a strong squad.
The Ethiopian team will be spearheaded by their national junior 1 5 00m record-holder Dawit Seyoum and world youth 3000m champion Yomif Kejelcha,a development likely to pose serious to Kenya’s long distance marathon domination.
Kenya will be represented in all events.
The World Junior Championship is an international event for junior aged athletes (19 years old or younger on 31 December in the year of the competition), organized by the IAAF.
Athletic Kenya (AK) Assistant Treasurer, Dimi Kisalu, will lead the Kenyaa delegation to the US.
Andrew Maritim is the head coach.
– CAJ News
