National Sports

Two athletes for Kenya camp

Young middle distance athletes Emma Banda and Malita Phiri leave this Friday for Kenya camp training alongside coach Ireen Luka while eyeing 2015 Colombia World Youth Championship qualification.

The Nairobi’s Kasarani Stadium camp training will involve races in 800 metres, 1 500 metres and 5 000 metres, the Athletics Association of Malawi (AAM) president Godfrey Phiri and general secretary Frank Chitembeya said on Saturday.

World athletics governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federation (Iaaf) has sponsored air tickets for the three Malawi representatives to prepare them for possible participation in next March’s Colombia event.

“This offer doesn’t come to countries, but they see the good relationship that is there between Iaaf and the federation. So, we have a very good relationship with our mother body. If our athletes do well during the training, they will be picked for Colombia,” Phiri explained on Saturday.

The three Malawians will join their counterparts from six other East and Southern African countries. But as of Saturday, Luka said she was still in suspense over the trip as there was no final confirmation.

Chitembeya said the first two days of the camp would involve training while the last two days are devoted to competition “to instil in the athletes a spirit of competition.”

“Iaaf did not specify qualification time. Our quota is for two female athletes and we have faith in the two as Malita won silver medal at Zone V championship in 2012 and in the same year, Emma also participated in an international event in Nigeria, so they have the potential and experience,” Chitembeya explained.

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