Prisons out to arrest Police dominance at championship

Kenya Prisons Service cross country team is out to end Police dominance at the national championships slated for Saturday at the Eldoret Sports Club in Uasin Gishu County.

The team comprising of Africa Cross Country champion Celliphine Chespol, World Cross Country silver medalist Alice Aprot, World Cross Country bronze medalist Lilian Kasait, Loice Chemining, Nancy Nzisa and Naomi Syokau have been training at the Prisons Staff Training College in Ruiru and are set to depart for Eldoret on Tuesday ahead of the competition.

The men’s field will be led by 2016 Africa Cross Country bronze medalist Charles Muneria who reigned supreme at the Service’ championships, Emmanuel Ngetuny and the 2011 World 1,500m silver medalist Silas Kiplagat.

Also in the start list is the 2016 Africa 10,000m silver medalist Wilfred Kimitei, Cornelius Kangogo and Joshua Nakeri.

According to head coach Gedion Chirchir, the team is ready to reclaim the women title they last won in 2016 while their hunt for the elusive men title is still going on.

“We have been training from the start of this month and all the athletes are in good condition as we head to Eldoret on Tuesday. We are more than ready for the championships,”Chirchir told Citizen Digital.

With Police currently holding both titles they clinched last year through Geoffrey Kamworor and Stacy Ndiwa, Chirchir is adamant that this time round they are ready to make a case of themselves though he notes that tough competition awaits them.

“We know that the Police have done their preparations as they target to retain their titles. Similarly, we are ready to run away with the titles thus it won’t be easy, the race will be competitive,” he warned.

Unlike the previous editions, this year’s championships will go down in Eldoret for the first time and  it will also be the first time it will be held in the afternoon but that does not worry Chirchir who believes it will have no effect on the performance of the athletes.

“I don’t see any effect on the change in timing because when you have trained an athlete then they are ready to compete at any time. Also the venue does not matter given that Kenyan athletes have been winning all over the world,” said Chirchir.

The Saturday event will also double up as the trials for the World Cross Country championships slated for Aarhus, Denmark in March 30.