More by this Author
Presidential Escort Unit’s (KEU’s) Elijah Manang'oi will not take part in the National Police Service Championship slated for Thursday and Friday at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.
Manang'oi, the World and Commonwealth 1,500m champion, will not be defending his 800m title at the Police event due to a hamstring injury.
The 1,500m Continental Cup champion sustained the injury during the 2019 Diamond League opening leg in Doha on May 3 where he won the race in a world leading time of 3:32.21.
However the 26-year-old, who won bronze in the mixed relay at World Cross Country Championships in March, would finish 10th in Stockholm in 3:48.83 and 12th at Prefontaine in 3:57.48.
“I have been struggling with a hamstring injury since Doha but it's being handled by the doctors,” said Manang'oi, who will skip the Monaco Diamond League on Friday. “All should be well in the next two weeks.”
Manang'oi said he will have recovered in good time for the National Championships that will double up as trials for the World Championships set for August 15-17 at Kasarani. The World event will run from September 28 to October 6 in Doha, Qatar.
“My focus is on the trials and my World title defence,” said Manang’oi.
Despite his absence, the Police Championship that is usually referred to as the “Mini Nationals” still has some spark with an array of elite athletes having confirmed participation.
Among them are Beatrice Chepkoech, Maxilla Imali, Hellen Syombua and Stacy Ndiwa who will be defending their respective titles.
Former World champions Janeth Jepkosgei (2007) and Eunice Sum (2013) will make a return after a long lay-off alongside 2014 Commonwealth 5,000m champion Mercy Cherono.
Police coach Isaac Kirwa noted that though Chepkoech won the women’s 3,000m steeplechase and 1,500m races last year, she will compete in her steeplechase specialty this time round.
“We still have strong entries despite Manangoi's absence and we wish him quick recovery,” said Kirwa.
Chepkoech, who holds the 3,000m steeplechase world record, has started the season strongly in her Diamond League Series defence, winning in Shanghai and Stanford, USA.
Chepkoech, the Commonwealth 1,500m silver medallist won her 3,000m steeplechase title at Prefontaine Classic, Stanford in a World Lead and Meet record time of 8:55.58.
Imali, who is the national 400m champion, will defend her 100m and 200m titles while Syombua, who is fresh from breaking Imali’s national 400m record at the African Games trials, will defend her one-lap race title.
Syombua’s breathtaking time of 51.09 during the trials that qualified her for the World Championships, is ranked 18th in the world so far this season.
Ndiwa, the Commonwealth 10,000m silver medallist, makes a return on time to defend her 10,000m title after she failed to finish her race during the National Cross Country Championships in February.
The 2014 Commonwealth and 2015 World Javelin champion Julius Yego is back to reclaim his title while Damacline Nyakeruri will defend women’s javelin crown.
