NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 26- Kenya Swimming Federation (KSF) has settled on sisters Sylvia and Maria Brunlehner and Emily Muteti as the women swimmers to represent Kenya at Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in Australia from April 4 to 15.
The boy’s team is comprised of US-based Issa Abdallah Mohammed and Steve Maina Kimani to complete the five slots set aside for swimmers set to participate at the multi-sport Games.
Maria tops in the FINA ranking with 758 points followed by Muteti with 750 and Sylvia 730, while Abdalla has 711 followed by Kimani 668.
Sunday’s naming of the swimming team meant the federation was the last of the 16 disciplines to name a team for the Club Games.
KSF Member of Interim Management Committee (MIMC), Reginald Okumu said the National Olympic Committee (NOCK) had only allocated five slots, two men and three ladies for the Games and therefore the selection was strictly based on (FINA) point criteria.
‘Basically the swimmers with the highest FINA points are the ones we are taking to Gold Coast, this are active swimmers who have been consistent in their swimming,” Okumu stated after a three-day Kenya Swimming Federation Age Group Championships at Kasarani.
Okumu further said that Rebecca Kamau (women) and Rosafo Danilo (men) were named as the reserve swimmers. Kamau has 725 points while Danilo has 662 points.
For the Germany based Brunlehner sisters, Sylvia will be making a return to the Club Games after her debut appearance in 2014 Glasgow, for younger sister Maria, it will be her debut.
There was a reprieve for those who failed to make to team Kenya for Commonwealth games as 40 athletes were selected over the weekend to represent Kenya at Cana Zone IV Championships slated for March 21 to 23 in Lilongwe, Malawi.
-By Amos Abuga-