NAIROBI, Kenya, October 19- Sprints and field events will get a new lease of life when the 2010-2011 Athletics Kenya (AK) calendar takes center stage.AK chairman Isaiah Kiplagat who unveiled the calendar on Tuesday said that the special meets will be set aside for the short distance races and the filed competitions.
“These are areas that we need to put a lot of emphasis, the sprints and of course the field. We have looked at and as you can see we have put the relays, sprints and the middle distance races separate from the normal track meets,” said Kiplagat.
“The main handicap when it comes to the field is the equipment. In the sprints is the kind of training materials that are required and the facilities that are needed,” he added.
Kiplagat also said that the governing body will convene a meeting of the top sprint coaches in the country to devise a strategy of how Kenya can be competitive at next year’s IAAF World Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea.
Kiplagat also took the opportunity to serve notice to organizers of several marathons and athletics meets that have not been approved by AK.
“Many people are soliciting funds from sponsors which they pocket. We recently had a case in Nairobi when participants weren’t paid and they slept in the police cells,” said Kiplagat.
“If you go to Eldoret, the mushrooming of events is a critical issue running almost every weekend and putting children some as young as twelve on the road. We are going to put this to a stop to bring some order to the athletics programmes,” he added.
The Confederation of Africa Athletics (CAA) Diamond Meet has been slated for May 18 while the track meets will have a new sponsor.
