Wounded Kenyans scent steeplechase gold

IN GOLD COAST
Kenya hopes to gain ground on neighbours Uganda with regional bragging rights at stake when the women’s 3,000 metres steeplechase final is held on Wednesday at the Carrara Stadium from 7.45pm (12.45pm Kenyan time).

The trio of Fancy Cherono, Purity Cherotich and Celliphine Chespol are the outright favourites for the medals, barring tragedy of gargantuan proportions.

Cherotich will be bidding to defend her title which will be a difficult affair given Chespol’s recent meteoric rise. “Whichever way, it will be a Kenyan 1-2-3, no doubt about that,” Kenya coach Joshua Chelang’a said last night at the Carrara Stadium.

“The girls are in high spirit and I don’t see anyone stopping us.”

Also on the menu on Wednesday is the 400m women’s final where surprise package Maximila Imali will be chasing an elusive sprints medal as fellow sprinters Mark Otieno and Millicent Ndoro compete in the 200m men’s and women’s semi-finals, respectively.

Meanwhile, Kenya’s men’s and women’s rugby squads landed in Gold Coast yesterday after their exploits at last weekend’s Hong Kong Sevens tournament.

Barnabas Korir, the head of Kenya’s delegation here, saying Homeboyz centre Janet Owino underwent a successful operation after a leg fracture in Hong Kong and is out of “Lionesses”, women’s team.

“She was admitted two days ago for an operation which was successful and she is recovering at the Commonwealth Games Village awaiting a review on Friday,” Korir said.

Kenya also lost badminton player Mercy Joseph who tore her ligaments at the ankle joint yesterday, pulling out of the singles tournament.

“She has been treated but examination is still going on to determine if an operation to repair the ligament is needed,” said Korir.

There were early departures last night with the triathlon athletes and coaches along with the weightlifting team on the early flight back home.

Kenya’s programme, Wednesday:

Lawn Bowls: 9am (2am Kenyan time): Men’s singles Section A, Round 5: Cephas Kimwaki Kimani vs Robert Paxton (England);

Badminton: 9am (2am Kenyan time): Men’s singles, Round of 32: Denis Coke (Jamaica) vs Victor Odera;

Shooting: 10am (3am Kenyan time): Queens Prize Individual Finals Day 1: Christopher Saina;

Table tennis: 10.05am (3.05am Kenyan time): Mixed doubles round of 64: Brian Mutua/ Sejal Thakkar vs Mudiyanselage Jayasingha/ Erandi Warusawithana;
Squash: 11.45am (4.45am, Kenyan time): Mixed doubles Pool C: Marlene West/ Cameron Stafford (Cayman Islands) vs Hardeep Reel/ Khaaliqa Nimji;

Athletics: 19hrs (12pm Kenyan time): Women’s long jump qualifying: Priscilla Tabunda; 19.45hrs (12.45pm Kenyan time): Women’s steeplechase final: Fancy Cherono, Purity Cherotich, Celliphine Chespol; 20.26hrs (1.26pm Kenyan time):

Women’s 200m semi-final: Millicent Ndoro, 20.58hrs (1.58pm Kenyan time):

Men’s 200m semi-final: Mark Otieno; 21.45hrs: Women’s 400m final: Maximila Imali.

Boxing: 19.02hrs (12.02pm Kenyan time): Women’s 51kg quarter-final: Dulani Jayasinghe (Sri Lanka) vs Christine Ogare.