NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 5 – This year’s track and field athletics championships will see the awarding of points to clubs and Athletics Kenya (AK) affiliates for the number of participants they send.
AK chairman Isaiah Kiplagat said today that the new procedure is aimed at encouraging greater numbers in the six leg series.
“We want to use a system that will encourage participation from the clubs from the clubs, districts and provinces,” said Kiplagat.
The championship which starts this weekend in Kisumu will alos be held in Kakamega, Nyeri, Nakuru, Eldoret and Mombasa.
The series will culminate into the national trials in Nairobi that will be used to select the national team for August’s World Athletics championships in Berlin.
Kiplagat also reiterated that athletes and officials who take part in unsanctioned AK meets risk being banned from national competition.
“We will not show any mercy on those people who are organizing unrecognized events because there quite a number of them mushrooming,” said Kiplagat.
“Any official or athlete that participates in either organizing or featuring in those tournaments will be banned.
Kiplagat was speaking when receiving a Sh10 million sponsorship package from dairy company New KCC for the championship series.
The package also includes educating athletes who win cash prizes abroad on how to use their money for entrepreneurial endeavours.
New KCC managing director Francis Mwangi said that his company is delighted to continue working with AK.
“For us we see this sponsorship as an investment because athletics is one of the best run sports in this country and I think if tha same can be done for other sports, we can truly become a sporting nation,” said Mwangi.
