Mini World Championships at Ulinzi Complex as top guns eye Tokyo tickets

The country’s top athletes, among them multiple record breakers and rising stars, are converging in Nairobi for the Tokyo World Championships trials.

From 7 am tomorrow, Nairobi’s Ulinzi Sports Complex will be hosting what has historically become a Mini-World Championship.

Expected as Kenyan stars eye tickets to the World Athletics Tokyo25 global showpiece are thrillers, adrenaline rush, big surprises and fireworks.

With bated breath, athletics coaches who have trained their arsenals for months in readiness for the World Championships set for September 13-21 at the Japanese capital will be hoping to see their prodigies progress to a global stage where the world’s top guns fly their countries’ colours as they chase glory.

Equally, athletics enthusiasts are eagerly waiting to know the squad that will chase medals for Kenya in Tokyo.

All eyes will be on Kenya as the country that has dominated the podium for years and topped the medal tally in 2015 picks its cast for the 2025 World Championships.

Before earning their invitation to the national trials, a number of athletes had already fired their warning shots.

Others were, until two days ago, sending strong messages to the world ahead of face-offs with their compatriots in Nairobi.

Invited athletes say they are pegging their hopes of earning tickets on rigorous training.

They say, all the compatriots invited to the national trials showdown were World Championship potentials and that there were no favourites in some events.

Reigning World Under-20 5000m champion Andrew Kiptoo Alamisi, who is turning 19 next month, will be at Ulinzi Sports Complex to try to follow in the footsteps of youngsters who transitioned to the senior ranks in style.

Alamisi, an Iten-based athlete, admits that he has not been in his best form on the track this season but he banks on a tapestry of tactical training and mental preparedness in the last month.

“I’m ready for the national trials. My training has been the best, and if things turn out well on Tuesday, it will be my first time representing the country in the senior category, and it will be a big honour,” Alamisi told Standard Sport in a telephone interview on Saturday.

The youngster, who is dreaming of basking in the same glory as world silver medallist and bronze winner Emmanuel Wanyonyi and Faith Cherotich (Small Faith), respectively, who spectacularly rose to the senior ranks, says he will give his all to the national trials.

Alamisi, who has been doing most of his speed work at the Kamariny Stadium (whose upgrade stalled) says he has met all the anti-doping requirements and was only praying for automatic qualification at the trials.

“I used the cross-country season to build up for the track races. I competed at the Stockholm Diamond League under challenging circumstances. I stayed in Italy for a month, and the weather conditions were not favourable. I can say that I have trained in ideal conditions in preparation for the national trials. After the trials, I will be training for a Diamond League meet in August.

“I know that the national trials are highly competitive, but I promise to do my best. Competing with my seniors will be a big honour,” said 18-year-old Alamisi.

The teenager won three cross country races, two of them in his Iten training base – Iten Athletics Kenya meet, Betika Iten and Mt Elgon AK meet and settled for a second place in Chepsaita.

At Ulinzi Sports Complex tomorrow, he faces 19 other 5000m men, among them Olympic silver medallist Ronal Kwemoi, Olympian Nicholas Kipkorir, former World Under-20 champion Benson Kiplangat, Jacob Kro,p who has bagged silver and bronze in the last two worlds, world 10,000m silver medallist Stanley Mbur,u among other long distance track athletes in the race for two automatic spots.

Joining World Under-20 champion Edmund Serem in the race for tickets in the 3000m steeplechase is Mathew Kosgei, who bagged silver at last year’s World Under-20 3000m SC.

Mathew, the son of legendary steeplechaser William Kosgei, said yesterday that he was prepared for the national trials.

“My training was well,l and I am now getting ready to compete on Tuesday. I can only hope for a good performance,” Kosgei, a former student at Kimuron Secondary School in Elgeyo Marakwet, said.

Kosgei rose to stardom at school games after bagging the national title in the 2023 national event staged in Eldoret.

It will be a world Under-20 rematch between Serem and Kosgei. The duo took gold and silver in the 2024 World Under-20 championships in Lima, Peru.

They will be taking on steeplechasers such as Abraham Kibiwott and Benjamin Kigen, who have previously featured at the World Championship stage.

African bronze medallist Simon Koech, former World Under-20 champion Leonard Bett, Geoffrey Kirwa and former World Under-20 champion Amos Serem are invited for the trials.

A men’s 3000m steeplechase squad that will be named tomorrow will be setting its sights on reclaiming the country’s lost glory in the water and barrier race from the global stars such as Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali (champion of the last two editions) and world record holder Lamecha Girma of Ethiopia.

Faith Cherotich will be leading a stellar cast in the women’s 3000m steeplechase as the country’s women get ready for a battle for honours against Kenyan-born Bahraini athlete Winfred Yavi – the defending champion.

A scintillating clash is expected in the men’s 1500m, a race that a gold medal has been elusive for Kenya in recent global events.

Phanuel Koech, another product of school games, has recently announced his readiness to compete at the world stage.

On Saturday, Koech, 18, stormed to a meeting record at the London Diamond League meet, stamping his authority as the Kenyan to watch in the distance.

He edged out reigning world champion Josh Kerr of Great Britain in the London contest.

At the Paris Diamond League last month, Koech charged to a world Under-20 record 3:27.72 and will be fighting to keep the momentum this season at the national trials where he will be competing with seniors among them former World Under-20 champion Reynold Cheruiyot, world gold medallist Timothy Cheruiyot, Olympians Abel Kipsang and Brian Komen as well as Festus Lagat and Vincent Keter among other stars.

“I was thinking about all the big guys running fast, so I had to stay focused. Tactics did not play out as planned and I had to make my move with 200m to go,” Koech said after the London Diamond League victory.

Four-time world champion, and world record holder Faith Kipyegon leads top class women in the 1500m race.

In the mix will be Olympian Nelly Jepchirchir, former World Under-20 champion Teresiah Gateri, Susan Ejore, Purity Chepkirui and Dorcas Ewoi among other stars.

Olympic champion in the 800m event Emmanuel Wanyonyi, who settled for silver at the last World Championships in Budapest, Hungary will be looking to book his place in team Kenya to Tokyo25 as he tunes his focus on facing his main rival, the reigning world champion Marco Arop of Canada.

Wanyonyi just handed Arop another defeat in London on Saturday and had stunned the Canadian at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“My training right now is at 80 percent. I will be improving the training in the next few weeks and over the next races before Tokyo,” the world silver medallist said in London.

Athletics Kenya spelled out tough rules guiding the national trials. Participating athletes must have undergone the mandatory three anti-doping tests as stipulated by the Athletics Integrity Unit.