The Athletics Association of Malawi (AAM) is planning a local camp for long distance runner Cephas Kasten to put him in medal winning shape for next year’s Commonwealth Games and 2016 Olympics.
AAM is looking for partnership with the Malawi Olympic Committee (MOC) for a local scholarship for Kasten, who has shown a lot of potential.
He shone at the Zone VI Youth Games in Lusaka, Zambia last year as he won gold and silver in 5 000 and 1 500 metres respectively.
AAM president Godfrey Phiri said they would like Kasten to go into full-time camp for a minimum of 12 months in Zomba ahead of the Commonwealth Games.
“Kasten has the ability to qualify for the Olympics if we send him into camp early. We have been participating at the Olympics on solidarity, but we want that to end and send qualified athletes to Brazil.
“MOC has been offering scholarships in Kenya, but no athlete has improved there so we want to try local camping,” said Phiri.
MOC president Oscar Kanjala was recently quoted as having said his committee wants proposals from associations on how to build medal-winning athletes.
Kasten’s personal trainer, John Mwathiwa, said the athlete can become an icon if he works on speed.
“On endurance, he is good, but he needs to increase pace so that he is not overtaken towards the end of the race as it happened in the 1 500-metre race in Zambia.
“We normally train in his home village in Lilongwe without proper equipment, so if we can go to Zomba, which is on high altitude, we can enhance his long distance ability,” said Mwathiwa.
