Coaches fine-tune finishing skills

What you need to know:

  • Coaches on Monday took Kenyan athletes through specialised training at Kigari Teaches College in Embu County as the team prepares to leave on Wednesday for Sunday’s World Cross Country Championships in Kampala.
  • Athletes on Monday embarked on light training to boost their finishing. The team has been in Kigari for a month.
  • Deputy team manager, Mike Kosgei said they were preparing the team psychologically to make them ready for a showdown with elite runners from around the world.

Coaches on Monday took Kenyan athletes through specialised training at Kigari Teaches College in Embu County as the team prepares to leave on Wednesday for Sunday’s World Cross Country Championships in Kampala.

Athletes on Monday embarked on light training to boost their finishing. The team has been in Kigari for a month.

Deputy team manager, Mike Kosgei said they were preparing the team psychologically to make them ready for a showdown with elite runners from around the world.

“We are undertaking a psychological part of training. We are preparing the athletes to have a strong mind because they are facing a strong opposition from around the world and we don’t want them to be intimidated. Every country is targeting gold,” said Kosgei, a veteran who was Team Kenya head coach between 1985 and 1995.

Morale was high in the camp during the mid-morning run through Ena-Kithimi-Kivwe region in Embu County, with the athletes fully focused on Sunday’s big showdown.

Team Kenya captain Leonard Patrick Komon said they were fully prepared and raring to go, hoping to dominate both individual and team competitions.

“We have done our part and we leave to God the remaining part. Everyone is keen on competing and winning in Uganda. The event has our un-divided attention. Morale is high in the team camp and we have no complaints so far. We are fully focusing on the competition,” said Komon, who is also the current recorder holder of the 10 kilometre and 15 kilometre road races.

STRONG CHALLENGE

World cross country champion Geoffrey Kamworor together with Kosgei agreed that the greatest competition to Kenya will be posed by athletes from East African nations and naturalised athletes of Kenyan origin.

“It will mainly be a Kenyan affair due to athletes who left the country for USA, Turkey, Bahrain and other countries. Uganda itself has strong athletes and they will be enjoying home ground advantage,” said Kamworor.

Team Kenya head coach, Juma Ndiwa, exuded confidence that Kenya had the upper hand due to the array of decorated athletes, buoyed by the fact that there was no injuries.

“We are putting final touches and there is no intensive training,” he said.