NAIROBI, Kenya, July 15 – Micah Kogo and Moses Masai will represent Kenya in the 10,000m at the World Athletics Championships in place of Sammy Kitwara and Gideon Ngatuny.Kitwara and Ngatuny were dropped after they took part in events in the United States and Japan respectively without the authority of Athletics Kenya (AK).
“Kogo and Masai will replace those two runners (Kitwara and Ngatuny) and will join Benard Kipyego who already is in the team,” said AK chairman Isaiah Kiplagat on Wednesday.
Kitwara who set the fastest 10,000m time on Kenyan soil during the national championships featured in a 10km race in America while Ngatuny ran a half marathon in Japan.
“We had agreed that athletes who had been selected for the national team will continue to train in Kenya. Those who want to compete outside the country were to be cleared by the federation (AK),” said Kiplagat.
The athletes were to agree with AK on their competition schedule and the events they wanted to participate in.
“We can make an athlete who ran a 10,000m run the same distance a few weeks later. It defeats logic because we held it during the national championships,” added the chairman.
Meanwhile, Kitwara’s German agent Volker Wagner has also been banned from representing Kenyan athletes.
But Gianni Demadonna who had also been suspended has been given a reprieve as it emerged that Ngatuny was entered in to the half marathon by the organizers and not by the Italian.
“We have sent a communiqué to IAAF and all meet organizers that Wagner should represent the interests of Kenyan athletes,” said Kiplagat.
Two local coaches, David Kosgei and Gregory Kilonzo have also been suspended by AK for entering athletes in international competitions without the governing body’s consent.
“We want to get tough with these individuals. We’re always being asked how comes Ethiopians do not run many races as Kenyans because they are controlled,” said Kiplagat.
“There are also some issues that both coaches are involved that we don’t want to reveal now because their legalities involved,” he added.