Pomp, colour as heroic Master Athletics team jet back

It was pomp and colour at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport as Kenya’s Master Athletic team jetted back after a victorious display at the Nationals de Athletissme Olympic stadium in Rades, Tunisia.

The Sammy Ruto coached team bagged a record 41 medals; 31 gold, nine silver and one bronze.

Speaking at the airport, Masters Athletics Kenya secretary and head of delegation Rose Tata Muya expressed her delight in the team’s sterling performance.

“We deserved to emerge the best but the Tunisians pushed us to second position because they had a larger number of participants in comparison to the Kenyan team.”

Team Kenya captain Florence Wasike who led the battle from the front by joining the trio of Mary Maina, Charity Wandia and Caroline Awuor as the individual athletes to have garnered the most medals said that team work was the driving force behind the exemplary performance.

“This was an outing of style. We worked as a team because we left Kenya with one goal and we actually attained it. I am satisfied with the performance because we have broken a record and my expectation is that we are going to double it come 2021 when we host the championship here in Kenya,” Wasike said.

The quartet scooped four medals each helping Kenya’s ascendancy to the top.

The 2009 All African 4 × 400 relay team gold medallist Vincent Mumo who won two gold medals in 400 and 200m urged other athletes to take up the challenge and join the Masters team.

“You must retire in the Masters category. You should not stop at the senior athlete category,”he joked.

Other big winners include Geoffrey Terer, Patrick Muneria, Innes Chenonge, Joshua Pondo, Rebecca Kerubo, Mornica Lagat and Susan Nyakeriga.