Abraham Chepkirwok (Uganda) (© Getty Images)
Osaka World Championships 800m fourth placer Abraham Chepkirwok will be Uganda’s lone hope at 12th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Valencia, Spain, 7-9 March.
Chepkirwok, 20, a bronze medallist at the 2006 World Junior Championships has been named by Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF) to compete in Spain.
“Chepkirwok has been impressive ever since he won a bronze medal at the World juniors and narrowly missed a medal in Osaka, his performances has made UAF send him to hunt for a medal at the World Indoor Championships,” said Peter Okot Omony, the Vice President technical UAF.
The 20-year-old has already tested the Valencia surface with a third place finish with 1:48.03 at the ‘Reunión Internacional Ciudad de Valencia’ - IAAF Indoor Permit meeting, which took place on 9 February, in the stadium which will host the World Indoor Championships.
Chepkirwok’s agent Ricky Simms is optimistic of him reaching the finals in Valencia. “He is still very young and has many more years to try to win World and Olympic titles. I hope he will be a contender, not only in the 2008 World Champs & 2008 Olympics, but also in the 2009 & 20011 World Champs and the 2012 Olympic Games in London.”
“London will be like running at home for him as he spend much of his time training here”, said Ricky Simms, who also manages the Commonwealth 10,000m champion Boniface Kiprop and World Championships 5000m bronze medalist Moses Kipsiro.
Similar to the last World Indoor Championships held in Moscow, Russia where Uganda had one representative Isaac Kiprop, Chepkirwok is the lone flag bearer for the small East African country.
The major surprise on the team is the omission of the on-form unbeaten star Moses Kipsiro, who recently triumphed at the Ugandan Cross Country Championships held in Soroti. Before he had defeated the reigning World Cross Country Champion Zersenay Tadese at the ‘26th Cross Internacional de Itálica’ in Seville, Spain, an IAAF cross country Permit meet held on 20 January.
“We want him to be fresh for Edinburgh to help Uganda return with some silverware. He is focusing to the World Cross Country Championships, his omission from the Valencia trip is technical,” explained Omony.
Kipsiro is currently under going altitude training in the hills of Bukwo with the rest of the Ugandan team preparing for Scotland.
Daniel Senfuma for the IAAF
