President Uhuru Kenyatta has congratulated Team Kenya for their sterling performance at the 22nd African Senior Athletics Championships held in Mauritius.
Team Kenya finished top of the medals table, for the fifth time, with 10 gold medals, 5 silver, and 8 bronze medals.
The championships saw Kenyan sprinting ace Ferdinand Omanyala win the 100m Championship, defeating South Africa’s Akani Simbine with a time of 9.93s.
“The topping of the Championship table for the fifth time is a showcase of Kenya’s profile as an African athletics powerhouse. I assure the team of the Government’s continued support,” Kenyatta said.
Team Kenya emerged as the top team in the medal standings winning a total of 23 medals in all competitions.
On the final day of the competition, Kenya clinched five gold medals to ensure they finished top, just as they did at the last Championship in Asaba, Nigeria, in 2018.
Emily Ngii, Samuel Gathimba, Julius Yego, Abel Kipsang, and Jarinter Mwasya each won gold medals for Kenya on the final day of the competition.
The final day of the championships rose to a high when African Games champions Samuel Gathimba and Ngii won their respective 20km race walk moving Kenya to the top of the medal standings.
Gathimba attributed his success to his coach William Kimutai.
“He has such good programs and this is the end product,” said Gathimba.
Elsewhere, World Indoor 1500m bronze medallist Abel Kipsang and Jarinter Mawia Sunday handed Kenya the men’s 1,500m and women’s 800m titles on the final day.
On the same highlight reel, national 100m and 200m champion, Maximilla Imali grabbed silver when she finished second in the women’s 200m final.
The fastest woman in Kenya, Imali gave chase, but it wasn’t good enough as she settled second in 23.43 seconds, losing the battle to Seyni Aminatou from Niger who clocked 23.04 seconds.
Rhoda Njobvu settled for bronze in 23.54 seconds. Wiseman Were on the other hand clinched bronze for Kenya in the 400m hurdles, while Daniel Simiu won silver in the 5000m.
The team will now shift focus to the World Athletics Championships at the national trials due on June 24 to 25 at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.
