Ngeny
qualifies for African Military Games final
By Peter Njenga
for the IAAF
24 April, 2002, Nairobi - As Kenya celebrated its first athletics gold medal in
the First African Military Games here on Tuesday in unfamiliar event, the long
jump through Remmy Limo, Olympic champion Noah Ngeny and Algerian Abdulkader
Hachilat were preparing for a final face off at 1500m.
Ngeny fought to the wire to beat Hachilat during the semi-finals of the
athletics programme which only began on Tuesday due to a low turn out. He
clocked 3 minutes 52.6 seconds with the Moroccan close on his heels in 3:52.7
while Ethiopian Abdu Nure came in third.
Kenyan Robert Rono eased off towards the end to win the other semi-final in 3:54.2, followed by compatriot Sammy Mutai (3:54.5).
"We must win in the mid and long distance events because we are running at home and it would be very shameful to lose," said Ngeny who has been training for the Military Games since January."I know Hachilat well and I cannot afford to under rate him or Nure," said the Kenyan who is the overall captain of the local squad.
An equally interesting race is expected in the 5000 metres where Kenyan has lined up a strong entry of Sammy Kipketer, DavId Kiplak and Joseph Kosgei. At the end it will be these three against Girma Assefa, a younger brother of Olympic champion Assefa Mezghebu. Girma finished second in heat two behind Joseph Kosgei in heat two clocking 14:03.06 against 14:04.01.
David Kiplak won in the first heat in 14:11.2 followed by Kipketer (14:11.5).
Remmy Limo who competed in the 1991 IAAF World championships in Sevilla (35th place in Triple Jump), leaped 7 metres 58 centimetres to take the gold medal for Kenya in the long jump. Limo was followed in silver by Mbock Wandjel of Cameroon in 7:33, with another Kenyan Simon Munyao taking the bronze with a leap of 7:28
LEADING RESULTS
Results Day One 23 April:
100m: 1. Okoror Daniel (Uganda) 11.0; 2. Ade Bruyun (South Africa) 11.2; 3. F.S.
Ilyambo (Namibia) 11.3;
Heat two: 1. Jaques Sambou (Senegal) 10.4; 2. Thalosang Molapisi (Botswana)
10.6;
Heat three: 1. Stanley Towett (Kenya) 10.3; 2. Tiekim Diedone (Cameroun) 10.5;
3. David Mangoggola (Botswana) 10.7; 4. Kahlid Fakir (Morocco) 10.9
400m: heat one: 1. Julius
Chepkwony (Kenya) 46.7; 2. Cheick Drame (Senegal) 47.2; 3. Agrippa Matshameko
(Botswana) 47.4 Heat two: 1. David Kirui (Kenya) 46.2; 2. Onganesdiste Moseki
(Botswana) 47.0;
Heat three: 1. Johnson Kubisa (Botswana) 46.3; 2. Seydina O'Doucoure (Senegal)
47.0; 3. Victor Kibet (Kenya) 47.1; 4. G.H.Woest (South Africa) 47.3.
1,500m Heat one: 1. Noah
Ngeny (Kenya) 3:52.6; 2. Abdel Kader Hachilat (Morocco) 3:52.7; 3. Abdu Nure
(Ethiopia) 3:53.5; 4. Zouhour Zaouyal (Morocco) 3:57.3
Heat two: 1. Robert Rono (Kenya) 3:54.2; 2. Sammy Mutai (Kenya) 3:54.4; 3.
Ibrahim Issa (Tanzania) 3:54.7; 4. Bourkensa Tarek (Algeria) 3:55.0; 5.Ghirmay
Tikabo (Eritrea) 3:55.1; 6. Ndayinagije Fredrick (Burundi) 3:56.4; 7. Lardjen
Ali (Algeria) 3:57.3;
5,000m: Heat one: 1.
David Kiplak (Kenya) 14:11.2; 2. Sammy Kipketer (Kenya) 14:11.5; 3.
Aisi Dieu Donne
(Rwanda) 14:17.0;
Heat two: 1. John
Kosgei (Kenya) 14:03.6; 2. Girma Assefa (Ethiopia) 14:04.1; 3.
Yiga Byaruhanga
(Uganda) 14:35.1;
Long Jump, Final: 1. Remmy Limo (Kenya) 7.58; 2. Mbock Wandjel (Cameroun) 7.33; 3. Simon Munyao (Kenya) 7.28;
Discus Final: 1. Hatem Elkebir (Tunisia) 48.16; 2. Kimeli Tanui (Kenya) 48.12; 3. Adel Kalifa (Libya) 36.36; 4. Tesgaye Senbet (Ethiopia) 36.06.
