The National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) on Saturday, May 21 unveiled Chicago Marathon second runner-up Eric Kiptanui and Rotterdam marathon champion Stella Barsosio as the olympians who will lead Kenyan big shots to the Commonwealth Games in July and August.
The team of eight marathoners while speaking during the unveiling event in Eldoret promised to write history by winning the biggest number of medals for the country in the Club Games set for July 28 to August 8 in Birmingham, UK.
Other athletes in the men’s marathon squad to Birmingham include; Jonathan Korir, who finished second at last year’s Enschede Marathon, Philemon Kacheran, whofinished third in Valencia last year and the reigning Fukuoka International Open Marathon champion Michael Githae.
“As the men’s team we have agreed to try our best to sweep the podium in Birmingham,” Korir, the captain of the men’s marathon team said.
Moreover, the women’s team comprise two-time winner of Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon Purity Changwony, Margaret Wangari and Maurine Chepkemoi, who is fresh from winning Enschede Marathon in April.
“As a team we have met and we have promised to do our best to bring home the medals,” Wangari, the captain of the women’s marathon team said.
NOC-K president Paul Tergat said he is optimistic that the Kenyan team will perform exemplarily and promised to fully support their training.
“We have assembled the very best team. I congratulate the team and I wish to tell them that they have earned a very prestigious place of carrying the country’s flag in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham,” Tergat said while announcing the team in Kenmosa Village, Eldoret.
Furthermore, these marathoners ahve been training training in various separate camps, however, Tergat announced that the team will soon be in one camp until the day of departure to Birmingham. He also noted that Birmingham-bound teams will be selected in June.
“We expect more from them going forward. They have promised us that they will represent the country well in Birmingham,” he added.
According to Athletics Kenya Senior vice president and competitions director Paul Mutwii, the team was carefully selected based on the marathoner’s recent performances in key races.
“The team has been selected from the best of the best in the country. They have competed and won City marathons across the globe,” he said.
In addition, NOC-K Secretary General Francis Mutuku said, the marathon team will train individually in their respective camps for several days before converging in one camp ahead of departure to the UK.
Mutuku added that the marathoners will be entitled to equal support from the committee while training separately and individually.
