Huge interest in Africa crosses country

NAIROBI - Over 30 countries and regions have sent in their preliminary entries for next months Africa Cross Country Championships in cape Town, South Africa.

Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) Vice President David Okeyo said in Nairobi on Wednesday the event has attracted huge interest with bigwigs Ethiopia, Kenya, Eritrea, Morocco and host south Africa among the teams that have confirmed participation.

"Unlike in 2011, where Kenya had a solo race with a paltry 16 countries turning up, this year we have over 36 countries that have already sent in their preliminary entries in all the four events," said Okeyo, Wednesday in Nairobi.

The huge interest has been inspired by the fact that there will be no World cross country championships in 2012 after the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) opted to have the event as a bi-annual.

This means that after staging the world Cross in Punta Umbria, Spain last year, IAAF will have to wait until 2013 in Bydgosczc, Poland to have it again on its calendar.

The deadline for the preliminary entries expired on February 14 and Okeyo said CAA is pleased with the number of entries, but will try to persuade the remaining 18 countries to send their team to South Africa.

South Sudan, which is the new baby on board among the Africa countries, will also be sending in their won team after seceding from the north.

Okeyo, who is also the secretary general of Athletics Kenya (AK) said that his country was capable of repeating the same feat it attained last year in the inaugural event in cape Town, where it scooped all the medals save for two that went to Uganda and Morocco.

"Kenya is ready to pick its team. We are having our national trials on Saturday in Nairobi and we will take the first six athletes across the line in all the four race cadres. It will be difficult to predict who will make the team, but it also points out the fact that athletics is big business in Kenya," said Okeyo.

Several elite athletes including World Cross country champions Vivian Cheruiyot, Linet Masai, Joseph Ebuya and Mercy Cherono have pulled out of the continental event as they put their focus on the Olympics in London in august.

However, that will not water down the team Kenya will be parading in Cape Town and Okeyo said, the country remains the pillar of the sport in Africa.

"Those we select will want to use the event to gauge their preparedness and endurance levels ahead of the Olympics. Every one wants to go to London and it is by starting with cross country that we will get the best. The event has proved to be important before and I still believe it will give the same advantage to those who will travel to Cape Town," said Okeyo.

To help inspire more countries to compete CAA is planning to make it mandatory for all federations to compete in Africa cross country.

Okeyo said that a proposal will be tabled during the CAA General Assemble in Benin on June 26 to make it mandatory for any athlete who eyes to be entered in the Continental Cup competition to run in respective races in their continents.

"It is true that CAA is the one that enters team in the IAAF Continental Cup, we can make it a requirement for all athletes to run in Africa cross country to be eligible to run at the IAAF Continental Cup event," said Okeyo.