[July 18, 2011] A New Athletics Culture Tweet Nairobi, Jul 18, 2011 (The Nation/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- The domino effect from last year's African Athletics Championships at the Nyayo National Stadium is definitely being felt, a year later. If the crowds at the weekend's National Athletics Championships are anything to go by, then Kenyan track and field is headed for exciting times ahead. Excited children gleefully licking away their corn ice creams, their parents excitedly pointing towards one world champion after an Olympic medallist, scores of photo-journalists clicking away off beat pictures of legends... the atmosphere was truly an exciting family day. Throw into the mix pretty Seychelles track and field athletes, invited among a group of about 70 foreign competitors to join in the Kenyan party and you have a true mini-African Championships. "We decided to invite other countries so that we can learn from them as they learn from us in track and field," said Peter Angwenyi, Athletics Kenya's media chief. And indeed Kenya's jumpers learnt a few lessons from the photogenic Lissa Labiche (pictured below) from the Seychelles who won both the high jump (1.75 metres) and long jump (six metres), with the hosts dominating all the other events. There was a good attendance by foreign-based Kenyan athletes, with 22 taking the long-haul flights from the USA and Japan, especially, to fight for the elusive Kenyan tickets to international competition. And some had no regrets, with Sally Kipyego, a US-based distance runner, bagging a 10,000m ticket to the World Championships in Daegu after finishing second to "pocket rocket" Vivian Cheruiyot and Japan-based Martin Irungu Mathathi making a comeback to the Kenyan team in the 10,000m, also for the Worlds. Boaz Lalang, who was in Kenya's team to the last World Championships in Berlin, earned a ticket to the All Africa Games in the 800 metres, with the hard-working Linda Oseso (56.17 metres) hurling the hammer to a new national record and, in the process, being selected to the team to Maputo. Double sprints champion Anderson Mureta, another of the USA legion, earned the right to travel to Maputo for the two races and the relays, staging one of the weekend's biggest upsets by defeating Commonwealth champion, Mark Mutai, in the 400 metres. The experience gained from organising last year's African championships clearly showed and the thumbs up must go to the Athletics Kenya officials, including starters, track judges, medical staff and security team that provided athletics enthusiasts with a weekend of flawless competition. "We wish the stadium management board could set up a bazaar around the venue during such championships to create a carnival atmosphere," Angwenyi chipped as the curtains fell on the competition. Insatiable desire "There were no food outlets for the fans and we also needed to see sports exhibitions around the venue to take advantage of the new crowds we are getting in athletics." There was a mutual feeling that Athletics Kenya needs to organise more high-profile competitions to handle the insatiable desire by Kenyans to watch more and more top-class athletics. Currently, only Senegal and Morocco organise top-notch track and field competitions with Kenya's biggest handicap being the high altitude in Nairobi, the only city with tartan running tracks. There has been a push to have an international standard facility in Mombasa, at sea level, to cash in on the track and field prowess of Kenya but so far this remains a pipe dream for a city that successfully hosted the 2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]