Alex Ng’eno and Sarah Moraa secured Kenya’s first two gold medals on Day Three of the African Senior Athletics Championships at the Stade de Japoma in Douala, Cameroon.
In the men’s 800m, Ng’eno led from start to finish, clocking a time of 1:45.02. He was followed by Botswana’s Kethobogile Hanguira (1:45.54) and Uganda’s Tom Dradriga (1:46.01).
Ng’eno, pleased with his triumph, shared his future plans, saying, “I’m satisfied with the result. My next goal is the Diamond League races because I did not make Team Kenya for the Olympics.” In the men’s 3,000m steeplechase, Edmund Serem won silver, finishing in 8:21.94, just behind Uganda’s Leonard Chemutai (8:21.30). Mathew Kosgei took bronze with a time of 8:21.98.
Sarah Moraa led a Kenyan 1-2 finish in the women’s 800m, crossing the line in 2:00.27, while national champion Lilian Odira took silver in 2:00.36. Morocco’s Soukaina Hajji won bronze in 2:00.91. Despite aiming to help Moraa qualify for the Olympics in 1:59.30, Odira expressed satisfaction with their performance, stating, “We tried to get Moraa to the Olympic qualifying standard. Although we didn’t meet our goal, a 1-2 finish for Kenya is a fantastic achievement.”
Odira is now focusing on entering the Olympic camp. “I’ll spend a brief time with my family before heading to the Kenyan Olympic camp to prepare for the Paris Games,” she told reporters.
In other events, Boniface Mweresa finished fourth in the men’s 400m with a time of 45.62. The race was won by Senegal’s Cheikh Diouf (45.23), followed by Botswana’s Lee Eppie (45.39) and Nigeria’s Samuel Ogazi (45.47).
Kenya aims to extend its medal tally in upcoming events, including the women’s 3000m steeplechase, men’s and women’s 1500m, women’s 10,000m, and men’s and women’s 5000m.
Kenya won the previous championships in 2022 in Mauritius, securing 23 medals (10 gold, five silver, and eight bronze). South Africa finished second with 36 medals (9 gold, 13 silver, and 14 bronze), while Nigeria finished third with 11 medals (5 gold, 3 silver, 3 bronze).
Reported By Meshack Awino.
