Team Kenya has concluded its residential training camp at the Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi, signaling the final phase of preparations for the World Relays Championships set for May 10-11 in Guangzhou, China.
The squad, which began training just two days after the national trials on April 11-12, has been fine-tuning its form with morning runs in Karura Forest and intensive sessions at the military facility.
The team is scheduled to depart Nairobi on Wednesday, May 7, at 6:10 pm aboard Flight QR 1336 via Doha, with arrival in China expected on Thursday afternoon.
Head coach Stanley Towet expressed confidence in his athletes, noting visible improvements over the course of the camp. “Training has been smooth from the word go and I have witnessed a lot of improvement in the athletes,” Towet said.
He highlighted that 120m sprint times have dropped from over 12 seconds to 11.5 seconds, boosting hopes for a strong 4x100m relay performance.
Towet emphasized the importance of extended training camps for relay teams, especially for perfecting baton exchanges. “Relays require at least a month in training to harmonise all the aspects, especially baton flow in the 4x100m,” he said.
The coach is optimistic about Kenya’s prospects, citing the credentials of several athletes, including three men who have clocked 44 seconds in the 400m and three women with 51-second times.
Young sprinter Isaac Omurwa, excited for his first senior World Relays appearance, praised the supportive camp environment and guidance from experienced teammates like Ferdinand Omanyala and Boniface Mweresa. “We have hopes that we will bring back good results from China. The target for all the athletes is qualification for the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, in September,” Omurwa said.
Notably, Commonwealth Games 100m champion Ferdinand Omanyala and Olympian Zablon Ekwam are already in China as part of the advance party.
However, world 800m champion Mary Moraa will miss the championships due to visa issues.
Team Kenya will look to capitalize on their rigorous preparations as they aim for qualification to the World Championships later this year.
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