Gold winner Chesang’ savours conquest over Kenyans

Author, Philip Muchiri.

The newest women’s 10,000m Commonwealth champion, Uganda’s Stella Chesang’ will hold dearly her first international medal closely to her heart for the next four years.

Understandably for Chesang, this is a medal that she never expected to win.

Coming to the 21st edition of the ‘Club’ Games, in Gold Coast, Australia, she never had the thoughts of going home a gold medallist.

She said: “The pace favoured me, in the last 1,500 metres I expected Kenyans to break, and my body was not ready to respond, but in the last lap I decided to break, I knew they would follow me but after some time they failed to match,”the 10,000m Commonwealth champion told Citizen Digital.

With 50m to go the Ugandan, 21, had already started celebrating.

“I knew the race was mine. I looked back and didn’t see any competition. I couldn’t believe that something I didn’t expect was coming my way,” she added the joy evident in her glittering eyes.

Kenya’s efforts to win her first gold medal in the sixth largest city in Australia fell flat after all the three competitors, failed to communicate.

“I tried to call the rest and they didn’t respond, our plan was to open up early but they were nowhere when Chesang’ opened up the gap,”said silver medallist Stacy Ndiwa.

Other Kenyans Beatrice Mutai finished fourth while world 3,000m junior champion Sandrafelis Chebet could only manage 10^th place finish.