As the Swahili say, “hayawi hayawi, mwishowe huwa” — “what has been waited for long at long last happens” — months have metamorphosed into days and subsequently, hours before the fourth edition of the Kip Keino Classic.
If anyone still needed convincing that they need to be at the Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani on Saturday, it is that we have a raft of exciting races for this World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event.
Approximately, 68 foreign athletes answered the call and have been steadily streaming into the country for this global showpiece. The start list reads like the who-is-who of world athletics, which is something that stimulate endorphins for every fan all over the world.
The likes of three-time Olympics champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica), four-time world hammer throw champion Anita Wlodarczyk (Poland), Olympics and world 200m silver medallist Kenneth Bednarek and – of course – our very own hero Ferdinand Omanyala are just part of the reasons why every Kenyan should come and fill up the stadium on Saturday.
As patriotic Kenyans, it is also noteworthy that most athletes in action on that day will be our fellow countrymen and women. Some of them will be competing against foreign entries whereas others will be pitted against one another.
Regardless, a stadium filled to the brim is exactly the atmosphere that our athletes require as they pursue glory on the track and field.
The Kip Keino Classic presents an opportunity for many to build momentum towards the World Championships in August by recording fast times and meeting the qualifying mark for the global competition.
A rapturous home support will go a long way towards propelling our national heroes towards Budapest, which is why we need you at the stadium on Saturday.
As the local organising committee for this event, our long-term vision has been for Kenya to become the second country in Africa after Morocco to host a Diamond League competition.
We are already lobbying World Athletics for the Kip Keino Classic to be upgraded to a Diamond League event and we need all hands on deck in this regard.
An athletics-mad nation – evidenced by a stadium filled to capacity – will be an added advantage for Kenya in landing the most prestigious event in WA’s calendar of one-day meets.
Of course, even as we implore you to come join us at Kasarani on Saturday, no effort has been spared to ensure your safety and that of your valuables.
We have worked around the clock to develop impenetrable security measures throughout the venue and its surroundings. BY DAILY NATION