2010 African Athletics LOC relaunched

The Local Organising Committee of the 2010 Senior Africa Athletics Championship has been re-launched at a gala ceremony that was attended by top corporate figures, government leaders and leading sportsmen in Nairobi, Kenya.

Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who was the chief guest, cautioned the organisers that the success in hosting the championship will serve as the yardstick for Kenya to receive endorsements to bid and stage future top sporting events.

“The journey to hosting the Africa Senior Athletics Championship has just begun. It will be no simple task and it requires full commitment and financial support for the country to have a successful championship,” said Odinga.

Isaiah Kiplagat, the chairman of LOC, said with only seven months remaining, they were ready to burn the midnight oil to see that they attain their target as they prepare to welcome Africa’s best track and field athletes from all the 54 stages in the five-day event at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.

The event will be used to pick Africa’s best athletes for the World Cup in athletics that will be held in Croatia in September.

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Après plusieurs faux départs, le Comité Organisateur Local de 2010 Senior Afrique d'athlétisme a finalement vu le jour dans un des blocs colorés Re-lancement de gala qui a rassemblé les chiffres supérieurs des entreprises, les chefs de gouvernement et les sportifs.

Le Premier ministre Raila Odinga, qui était l'invité d'honneur, a mis en garde les organisateurs que le succès en accueillant le championnat sera ensuite servir de référence pour le Kenya pour recevoir les endossements afin de soumission et le stade de futurs événements sportifs haut.

«Le voyage à accueillir le Championnat d'Afrique senior d'athlétisme vient de commencer. Ce ne sera pas tâche aisée et elle nécessite un engagement total et un soutien financier aux pays d'avoir un championnat de succès ", a dit Odinga.

Isaiah Kiplagat, le président du LOC, a déclaré avec seulement sept mois restants, ils étaient prêts à brûler l'huile de minuit, pour voir qu'ils atteignent leur cible alors qu'ils se préparent à accueillir best track de l'Afrique et sur le terrain des athlètes de toutes les 54 étapes dans les cinq jour de l'événement au Moi International Sports Centre de Kasarani.

L'événement sera utilisé pour ramasser les meilleurs athlètes de l'Afrique pour la Coupe du monde d'athlétisme qui se tiendra en Croatie en Septembre.

"Pour cette raison, les meilleurs athlètes africains doivent venir à Nairobi et cela promet d'être la meilleure compétition pour autant que chacun se bat pour avoir une chance d'aller à la Coupe du monde. Haut noms similaires (Kenenisa) Bekele, Dibaba (Tirunesh) et nos propres coureurs locaux seront à la parade », a déclaré Kiplagat.

Kusuro targets Obudu win

The World Mountain running champion, Geoffrey Kusuro will lead Uganda's assault on the lucrative Obudu Mountain running championship in Nigeria where the winner will walk off with $50,000, Norman Katende reports for the New Vision newspaper.

Kusuro won the world mountain running title top prize of $30,000 two months ago in Italy and will be joined by James Kibet, Martin Toroitich and Moses Aliwa in Saturday's race.

The race is also an Africa Mountain running championship, where the winner will also walk off with $15,000.

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Monde de Mountain Brose Geoffrey Kusuro entraînera l'agression de l'Ouganda sur le championnat lucrative Obudu Courir en montagne au Nigéria, où le gagnant sera repartez avec de $ 50,000 (sh93m).

Kusuro remporté le monde mountain Titre courant premier prix de $ 30,000 (sh60m) il ya deux mois en Italie et sera rejoint par James Kibet, Martin Toroitich et Moïse Aliwa dans la course de samedi.

La course est aussi un championnat de course de montagne en Afrique, où le gagnant sera également repartez avec de $ 15,000.

Semenya to keep her title and need for privacy

A lot has been said and written about Caster Semenya's gender issues since the South African teenager won the women's 800m title at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin last summer, but one thing missing in all these media reports is the most obvious of all.

Caster was never a cheat, but she had now become a pawn in the dirty game of politics and racial determination in the post-apartheid South Africa.

The IAAF also said in a statement that "no further comment will be made on the subject until further notice" as their panel of experts are still studying the results of the sex verification tests Semenya underwent in South Africa and Germany and there are ongoing consultations between the parties concerned.

Meanwhile, South Africa's Department of Sport and Recreation has confirmed that Caster Semenya will not be stripped of her title despite the fact she is awaiting the verdict on whether or not she can continue to race as a woman.

World Athletics Gala celebrates superb year

Monte-Carlo – The world-wide Athletics family will gather for yet another prestigious celebration when the 2009 World Athletics Gala is held at the Salle des Etoiles of the Sporting Club d’Eté this Sunday 22 November.

Hosted by International Athletic Foundation (IAF) Honorary President HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and IAF & IAAF President Lamine Diack, the World Athletics Gala will be highlighted by the announcements of the Male and the Female World Athlete of the Year 2009, with the awards presented live on stage.

Following a fantastic year for track and field and a superb edition of the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Berlin five men and five women are still in contention for the prestigious award.

World Athletes of the Year Finalists

Men

• Kenenisa Bekele, Ethiopia
• Usain Bolt, Jamaica
• Tyson Gay, USA
• Steven Hooker, Australia
• Andreas Thorkildsen, Norway

Women

• Yelena Isinbayeva, Russia
• Sanya Richards, USA
• Valerie Vili, New Zealand
• Blanka Vlasic, Croatia
• Anita Wlodarczyk, Poland

The fastest pair

World 100 and 200 metres record holder Usain Bolt wrapped up his tour of Kenya with a rare meeting between him and the fastest animal on earth. The Jamaican sprinter was at the Nairobi National Park to boost wildlife conservation by adopting a cheetah, now named Lightning Bolt.

Bolt comes to Kenya

The Jamaican sprint king is a global ambassador for sport for Zeitz Foundation. He arrived in Kenya on Friday for the official launch of the foundation. The foundation was established by sports manufacturing giant, Puma CEO Jochin Zeitz in 2008 and advocates for the sustainable use of environment.

Athletics: Obeng on 2010 African athletics championships

Ernest Obeng, International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)'s head of broadcasting rounded up his visit to the country with a tour of the Kasarani stadium and and gave the Local Organising Committee thumbs-up.

Mokoka eyeing up more top marathon races

Stephen Mokoka is already eyeing up another Great Run appearance after his brilliant second place at the Bupa Great South Run in Portsmouth on Sunday.

Mokoka despite winning the Bupa Great North 10km in July came to the 20th staging of the south coast event relatively unknown even after finishing eighth in the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships a fortnight earlier.

But the 23-year-old was quietly confident of his ability and it took a superhuman display from Britain's Mo Farah to snatch the race when winning by just a second in a very fast time of 46 minutes 25 seconds.

Mokoka despite missing what would have been the biggest victory of his career was delighted after setting the fastest time ever achieved by a South African athlete over the 10 miles distance.

The sports management student from Pretoria admitted he was amazed at the high profile stature of the Bupa Great South Run and his reception from everyone he met during his stay in Pompey.

Mokoka is now considering running at the Bupa Great Winter Run in the New Year considering cross country a key factor in his development as a world class distance runner.

"I would like to race in Edinburgh if I get an invite," Mokoka said, although admitting he isn't a cold weather fan but knows cross country is inevitably staged in adverse conditions.

"I'd like to thank the organisers for inviting me to both the Great North 10km and now here, it's very rare to run overseas and I was very surprised to get such experience," he added.

"I am normally used to running locally except when at an IAAF Championships event. Getting the opportunity to compete in Britain has been most welcome. The people in Sunderland - they were great. I felt like I was home, it was really nice experience. Even here it's the same thing so I'm really enjoying myself."

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Semenya doctor to be barred from treating SA President

According to the South African Daily News, The chairman of Parliament's sports portfolio committee, Butana Komphela, has vowed to ensure that Dr Harold Adams, the doctor for the South African team at the world athletics championships in Berlin, is removed as one of President Jacob Zuma's doctors.

Komphela made the threat after Athletics South Africa (ASA) appeared before the portfolio committee to explain its handling of the Caster Semenya sex-testing controversy.

Adams arranged the initial gender tests on Semenya and later cautioned the athletics body against letting Semenya race after obtaining results of the tests which allegedly showed that the 800m athlete had three times more testosterone than a normal female.

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