Kenya are determined to shrug off the talent drain which has eaten away at their legion of top-class middle-distance runners by stamping their authority on the athletics events in Athens.
Kenya has lost a host of runners in recent years with the destination of choice being the cash-rich Gulf.
Last year, 21-year-old Stephen Cherono switched to Qatar, changed his name to Saif Saeed Shaheen, won the 3 000-metre steeplechase world title in Paris and was reportedly handed a million dollar bonus for his troubles.
However, Shaheen is banned from running in Athens as he has yet to serve the three-year qualification period and Kenya have refused to give him permission.
Another leading Kenyan athlete Albert Chepkurui joined Shaheen in Qatar — with the name Ahmad Hassan Abdullah — while Bahrain has poached Abel Cheruiyot, the junior silver medal winner in the 2002 World Cross Country Championships, and Leonard Mucheru, a team gold medal winner at the same championships.
Gregory Konchellah, the son of former 800-metre world champion Billy Konchellah, runs for Bahrain as Youssef Saad Kamel.
Four years ago Kenya came away from Sydney with two gold, three silver and two bronze medals.
Although the gold medallists, Noah Ngeny and Reuben Kosgei, flopped and were eliminated during the Olympic trials, Bernard Lagat, who won bronze in the 1500 metres and the two marathon runners, Paul Tergat and Eric Wainaina, are the senior members of the team.
Following the country’s dismal showing at the world championships in Paris last August and the World cross country championships in Brussels in March, Athletics Kenya officials and coaches are excited with the attitude shown by the current crop of athletes since the Olympic training camp started early in July.
”It is amazing to see the motivation in this team,” said national coach Mike Kosgei.
”The athletes are realising that winning medals at the Olympics is more important than chasing money.”
Kosgei is a member of the three-man coaching team that includes former Olympian Joseph Chesire and Dan Muchoki.
Chesire has been put in charge of the middle distance team, while Muchoki and Kosgei assist each other in honing the tactical skills of the sprinters and the long distance athletes.
Kenya will have a 51-member team in Greece which also includes the women’s volleyball team, two swimmers and one boxer, while oarsman Ibrahim Githaiga, the first ever competitor to represent Kenya in the rowing competition at the games, is expected to join the group later from his German-training base.
The women’s volleyball team is making their second consecutive appearance.
In Sydney two years ago, they failed to go past the preliminary rounds and they will now face an uphill struggle against hosts Greece, Brazil, Italy, South Korea and Japan in Athens. – Sapa-AFP