Kishoiyian ready to gun for KDF 400m title

Kishoiyian ready to gun for KDF 400m title

Alphas Kishoyian, the 2011 World Youth silver medallist is ready to clinch the 400m at the AK/Kenya Defence Forces Track and Field championships that start at Nairobi’s Safaricom Stadium on Wednesday.

The Moi Airbase (MAB) runner and national champion in the lap-race expressed confidence of taking the honours at the three-day Forces meet in a season he hopes to make the Kenyan team for the Rio 2016 Olympics having finished sixth in the heats at last year’s World Championships in Beijing.

“I’m ready to meet with other teams from Police, Universities and Colleges at the nationals in May and that is the time I’ll weigh myself and see who is on top. Otherwise, I’m good for the competition,” the sixth finisher at the 2016 Barcelona world juniors told Citizen Digital.

The Forces meet follows the Kenya Police Service championships that concluded last weekend with Athletics Kenya (AK) moving the disciplined forces events to give athletes more time to prepare for the Olympics and feature in the IAAF Diamond League circuit.

Teams from the three arms of the KDF, Kenya Army, Kenya Airforce and Kenya Navy will take part representing their formations.

The meet will be the stage where Laikipia Airbase (LAB) star, Hellen Obiri, the 2012 World Indoor 3000m women’s champion and African 1500m titleholder, is expect to make her comeback after taking a maternal break.

Fellow LAB runners Olympics 800m bronze winner, Timothy Kitum, Mark Kiptoo, a former World Military Games and 2014 Frankfurt champion, sprinter Boniface Mweresa will also vie for individual and team honours.

Olympics 3000m steeplechase men’s bronze medallist, Abel Mutai and 2005 World Youth and 2006 World Junior silver medallist, Winnie Chebet will lead the Thika squad with 2014 World Half women’s champion, Gladys Cherono the flag bearer in the Kahawa contingent alongside the Africa Cross silver winner, Sheila Chepkirui.

MAB will boast the talents of 2008 Beijing Olympics champion, Nancy Jebet Langat, 2009 IAAF World Cross fourth finisher, Lineth Chepkirui, Kishoiyan and sprinter Mike Mokamba with the presence of London Marathon women’s champion, Jemimah Sumgong who will be the special guest at the meet.

 

The 2012 World Cross silver winner Vincent Kiprop, 2008 IAAF World Junior silver winner Elizabeth Mweni are other Forces top guns who will feature.

Last year, former World Junior champion, Veronicah Nyaruai outran Cherono in the 5000m race final after returning after a two-year break to lift the women’s 5000m title in the highlight of the meet held at the same venue.

Little known 22-year old Mtongwe’s Emmanuel Kipsang scooped the men’s 10000m title on his KDF debut by beating LAB’s Stephen Arita (28:16.5) to the tape.

Report by Mercy Rop

Tags:

athletics Alphas Kishoiyan Kenya Defence Forces Jemimah Sumgong

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