Eldoret to host trials for 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu has been earmarked to host the Track and Field Trials for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

In the Athletics Kenya (AK) calendar for 2019-2020 released Monday, the trials are penciled for June 19-21 with the Games slated for July 24-August 9.

Meanwhile, Southern region will kick-start the new Cross-Country season as it is primed to host the first meet on Saturday, November 23.

Sotik will then host the second series on December 14 followed by Ol Kalou (December 21), Kapsokwony (December 28) with Iten hosting the fifth and final series on January 4.

The Cross-Country series will thereafter culminate in the national championships cum trials for the Africa Cross Country Championships to be held in Lome, Togo on March 1.

Eldoret has also been lined up to host the first of the four Track and Field meets that will culminate in the national championships cum trials for the Africa Senior Athletics Championships earmarked for Algiers, Algeria on June 24-28.

The event is scheduled for February 22-23, with Nairobi hosting the second meet on March 5-6 followed by Embu (March 21-22) and Kisumu (April 4-5).

With Kenya set to host the World Under-20 Championship on July 7-12, the trials for the global event are slated for May 30-31 with the team joining the residential training camp on July 3.

Kipchoge Keino Stadium is one of the stadia whose construction have stalled, thus it remains to be seen whether the works will be completed in time for the Olympics trials.

In 2016, trials for the Rio Olympics were regarded a success after a huge turnout from the region renowned for its athletics prowess.

On Saturday, Uasin Gishu County Governor Daniel Chemno urged the national government to fast track the renovations of the facility whose protracted works has hit hard the athletes in the region.

“I want to urge the national government to expedite the construction of Kipchoge Keino Stadium. The stadium has been receiving budgetary allocations but currently nothing is going on,” Chemno said.