Top guns out to arrest competition in Police meet

World champions Ezekiel Kemboi, Asbel Kiprop, Julius Yego, Hyving Kiyeng, Nicholas Bett and Vivian Cheruiyot are among star athletes expected to sparkle at the three-day 2016 AK/Kenya Police Inter Denominational Track and Field Championships that start on Thursday in Nairobi.

Among other top attractions from the decorated force lined-up include two-time World Half Marathon champion and men 10000m silver medalist, Geoffrey Kipsang Kamworor, Beijing silver winner, Elijah Manangoi, Moscow 2013 world champion Eunice Sum and Mercy Cherono who won the second medal in Russia 2013.

“Since its April, most of our top athletes will be competing this year and we expect to get good indication on their form ahead of the international season,” Police head coach, Nicholas Kilisio, who confirmed the programme will start at 9am at the Safaricom Stadium in Kasarani told Citizen Digital.

“In the past, we have held our championships in the middle of the first half of the IAAF Diamond League season which has made some of our stars skip the event but this time, they will all be out in full force,” he added.

Highlights of Day 1 will be the women 10000m final, semi finals of both the men and women steeplechase races that will be headlined by four-time world champion, Kemboi and Kiyeng who won her first in Beijing last summer in the corresponding water and barriers races.

In the women’s steeple Kiyeng is lined-up for a showdown with recovered predecessor from Moscow, Milcah Chemos and 2013 silver medalist Lydia Chepkurui in a contest that will lay a marker for the ensuing international season.

Yego who learned of the sudden demise of his aunt when training in Kasarani on Wednesday morning is still out to give a show before he departs for Finland next month to fine-tune preparations for the Diamond League.

Speaking on the eve of the meet, Yego is out to improve his mark after winning in Eldoret last weekend with 78.82m at the sixth and final Athletics Kenya Track and Field Series meeting.

“I hope that during the Police Championship I will be able to reach 80m which is the good mark as a tribute to my police bosses and fans,” the Commonwealth and two-time African titleholder said in the season he is hoping to crown with a historic gold medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics.

London 2012 Olympics and three-time world 1500m champion, Asbel Kiprop had a best performance of 1:44.70 in 800m in the high attitude in Eldoret and is keen to carry his rich vein of form to the Police meet where he will clash in the two-lap race with Manangoi who will also step down the distance.

Also in the deep Metric Mile field are Beijing 5000m silver medallist, Caleb Mwangangi Ndiku who holds the Commonwealth and Continental Cup crowns and the former Commonwealth champion, Augustine Choge who is enjoying a resurgence of form.

Cheruiyot who will step down to 1500m will take on Cherono, former Worlds silver medallist, Sylvia Kibet and veteran Priscah Jepleting.

 

The Kenya Defense Forces Championships are due to be held at the same venue next week.

 

Tags:

Elijah Manangoi athletics Vivian Cheruiyot Asbel Kiprop Nicholas Bett Kenya Police Championships

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