Safaricom National Athletics Championship to Kick Off This Thursday at Nyayo Stadium

The Safaricom National Athletics Championship will take place between Thursday and Saturday this week at the Nyayo National Stadium.

Competition between the Kenya Police and Defence Forces teams is expected to be fierce, with both teams fielding their best track and field athletes during the three days. Also to watch out for is the Prisons team, which is among the 16 Athletics Kenya-affiliated teams expected to battle it out for a chance to secure a spot on the national team that will represent Kenya at the 2017 IAAF World Championships in Athletics to be held in London in August.

Over 900 athletes are expected to participate in the event, which will feature disciplines such as the 3000m steeplechase, 5,000m, race walking, javelin, shot put, triple jump and pole vault.

The national championship follows the conclusion of the team selections last weekend. The hotly contested athletics derby is expected to unveil fresh talent this time round, as some of the biggest names in Kenyan track and field will be missing in action after transitioning to road races. However crowd favourites such as Asbel Kiprop and Faith Chepng’etich have confirmed their participation, and will be hoping to defend their titles and represent Kenya once again.

“We expect the Defence Forces team and Police team to bring their finest from the trials they held last weekend. I am calling on athletics fans to come to Nyayo Stadium to watch the emerging raw talent because these are the people we are counting on to take on the athletics baton,” said Susan Kamau, CEO – Athletics Kenya.

“The Kenya Prisons Service will also be an exciting team to watch, as new signees such as Wilfred Kimitei and Margaret Wambui have made it clear that they will be at the stadium to win,” said Ms. Kamau.

Main sponsor Safaricom two years ago included track and field events in its Safaricom Athletics Series, in line with its commitment to developing athletic talent beyond the long distance races.

These National Championships, and the two day Trials for the World Championships scheduled for 23rd and 24th June this year, are expected to inject life into the track and field disciplines that have historically been overlooked in favour of longer road races, creating a pool of talent that can represent Kenya in international track and field meets.

“The recent regional championships demonstrated the great sportsmanship being developed in this field of athletics, showcasing talent that is just waiting to be tapped through national and international events. As much as Kenya is already well known for conquering long distance races, we feel that the time is right for us to prove our prowess and show the world that we have what it takes to rule the track and field as well,” said Sylvia Mulinge, Director for Consumer Business – Safaricom.

The National Athletics Championships become the fourth event to be held under the banner of the 2017 Safaricom Athletics Series, which was launched last month and will be sponsored by the telecommunications firm at a cost of KSh.65 million.

The Safaricom Athletics Series will feature a line-up of nine long distance races and three track and field events, bringing the total to 12 events this year.

The Safaricom National Athletics Championship will take place between Thursday and Saturday this week at the Nyayo National Stadium.

Competition between the Kenya Police and Defence Forces teams is expected to be fierce, with both teams fielding their best track and field athletes during the three days. Also to watch out for is the Prisons team, which is among the 16 Athletics Kenya-affiliated teams expected to battle it out for a chance to secure a spot on the national team that will represent Kenya at the 2017 IAAF World Championships in Athletics to be held in London in August.

Over 900 athletes are expected to participate in the event, which will feature disciplines such as the 3000m steeplechase, 5,000m, race walking, javelin, shot put, triple jump and pole vault.

The national championship follows the conclusion of the team selections last weekend. The hotly contested athletics derby is expected to unveil fresh talent this time round, as some of the biggest names in Kenyan track and field will be missing in action after transitioning to road races. However crowd favourites such as Asbel Kiprop and Faith Chepng’etich have confirmed their participation, and will be hoping to defend their titles and represent Kenya once again.

“We expect the Defence Forces team and Police team to bring their finest from the trials they held last weekend. I am calling on athletics fans to come to Nyayo Stadium to watch the emerging raw talent because these are the people we are counting on to take on the athletics baton,” said Susan Kamau, CEO – Athletics Kenya.

“The Kenya Prisons Service will also be an exciting team to watch, as new signees such as Wilfred Kimitei and Margaret Wambui have made it clear that they will be at the stadium to win,” said Ms. Kamau.

Main sponsor Safaricom two years ago included track and field events in its Safaricom Athletics Series, in line with its commitment to developing athletic talent beyond the long distance races.

These National Championships, and the two day Trials for the World Championships scheduled for 23rd and 24th June this year, are expected to inject life into the track and field disciplines that have historically been overlooked in favour of longer road races, creating a pool of talent that can represent Kenya in international track and field meets.

“The recent regional championships demonstrated the great sportsmanship being developed in this field of athletics, showcasing talent that is just waiting to be tapped through national and international events. As much as Kenya is already well known for conquering long distance races, we feel that the time is right for us to prove our prowess and show the world that we have what it takes to rule the track and field as well,” said Sylvia Mulinge, Director for Consumer Business – Safaricom.

The National Athletics Championships become the fourth event to be held under the banner of the 2017 Safaricom Athletics Series, which was launched last month and will be sponsored by the telecommunications firm at a cost of KSh.65 million.

The Safaricom Athletics Series will feature a line-up of nine long distance races and three track and field events, bringing the total to 12 events this year.