Kenya to send only eight junior athletes to Algeria

Kenya will send only eight athletes for the Africa Championships in Algeria next week Monday for the Africa Junior Championships in Algeria due to financial constraints.

The National Youth chairman Barnaba Korir confirmed the development to Citizen Digital on Tuesday that governing body Athletics Kenya (AK) will sponsor eight athletes and three officials for the continental showpiece.

“Some of the athletes will be forced to double up in other event and hopefully we can harvest as many medals as possible,” Korir said.

The team of four girls and four boys will be led by the much-travelled Sandrafelis Chebet in the girls 3000m steeplechase event.

Korir added that the Ministry of Sports Art and Culture  (MOSCA) had offered to sponsor a contingent of 15 athletes and three officials but due to the close time limits it was not possible to push through.

“It’s quite a procedure before one gets any funds from the Ministry yet we have less than a week to procure tickets and organise the team before they depart next week.  They asked whether we could procure tickets from Kenya Airways but unfortunately the national carrier does not go to Algeria,” he underscored.

The athletes are training individually from their home areas and are expected to gather in Nairobi two days before the travel date.

In the previous edition of the championship held two years ago in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Kenya bagged a total of 12 medals, four gold, five silver and three bronze medals.

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