Nairobi Kenya: KENYA Defence Forces (KDF) retained the Athletics Kenya (AK)/National
Bank of Kenya (NBK) national track and field championships title at the
Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani yesterday. The military team
amassed 16 gold, 15 silver and 11 bronze medals after the three-day
competition.
The performance was a drop from last year’s where the
military squad secured 21 gold, 17 silver and 14 bronze medals to clinch
the crown at the Nyayo National Stadium. Kenya Police, who were
dethroned in 2011 by KDF, were second after scooping 43 medals which
included 16 gold, nine silver and 18 bronze medals. It was an
improvement for Police from last year where they won 29 medals which
included 13 gold, eight silver and eight bronze medals.
Kenya Prisons remained in the third spot after managing 24 medals:
four gold, 13 silver and seven bronze medals. They also improved from
last year’s show where they clinched 19 medals: Four gold, six silver
and nine bronze medals. World Indoor 3,000m champion Hellen Obiri of KDF
won the women’s 1,500m title for the third year in row by returning
4:05.03.
The 2010 World Cross Country and World Championship Junior
champion Mercy Cherono of Police was second in a time of 4:06.03 as her
teammate, the 2008 Beijing Olympics 1,500m champion Nancy Lagat, who
returned from a long injury lay off was third by clocking 4:06.05.
The
2006 Commonwealth Games 5,000m champion Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya Police
won the men’s 1,500m by clocking 3:34.07 ahead of James Magut as the
2011 IAAF Samsung Diamond league champion Nixon Chepseba was third by
returning 3:35.05. Africa silver medallist and national champion David
Kimutai of KDF retained the men’s 20km walking race by clocking 12:07.52
ahead of Kenya Prisons’ Silvanus Wekesa in 1:28.40 as Josephat Sirma of
Kenya Police was third by timing 1:31.02.
Africa javelin champion Julius “Youtube” Yego retained his title by
throwing 76.49m ahead of Nairobi’s Elex Kiprotich (72.73m) as Fred Kogo
was placed third in 71.40m. KDF’s Caroline Cherotich was voted best
athlete after bagging two golds and a silver medal.
Source - The People