Sudan won the Eastern Africa Region Athletics Championships which ended last Thursday at the Sheikh Abeid Karume Stadium in Arusha, Tanzania after dominating the short events and threatening Kenya in traditional distance running races.
In the three-day meeting between May 9 to 12 which is used to prepare regional countries for the IAAF World Youth Championships in Marrakech, Morocco, Sudan won 19 gold medals, 7 silver and 6 bronze.
Kenya finished in second position managing 7 gold, 13 silver and 9 bronze. Only Eritrea came close to challenging the top two countries with 4 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze. They however had a field day in the absence of Ethiopia.
Nawal Eljack of Sudan showed her depth of talent by taking the girls 100 metres in 12.3 seconds, 200m (24.5), 100m Hurdles (16.8) and 400m (55.3).
Her compatriot Adan E. Adam won the boys 400m (47.9) on top of a silver medal in the 800m (1:53.8). David Rudisha, son of Daniel Rudisha who was a member of the Kenyan 4x400m Munich Olympics gold medal winning quartet, made a successful international debut by winning a silver medal (48.2) in the 400m.
Tanazania's William Okinda won the boys 100m dash gold (10.7) and a silver medal in the 200m (21.8).
Lydia Wafula of Kenya, a semi-finalist at the World juniors at the 800m, lifted the gold medal in her specialty (2:12.4) and a silver in the 200m (25.4).
Kenya dominated distance events from the 800m to the 3000m. At least Jerop Kimaina led her team mates Purity Changwony and Mutwa Sammy to a clean medal sweep in the 3000m.
Results
Boys
100m
1: William Okinda, Tanzania, 10.7
2: Maenelbin Ibrahim, Sudan, 10.9
3: Salo Adambar, Sudan, 11.1
200m
1: Nagnelbin Ibrahim, Sudan, 21.7
2: William Okinda, Tanzania, 21.8
3: Farak Alfashar, Sudan, 22.2
400m
1: Adam. E. Adam, Sudan, 47.9
2: David Rudisha, 48.2
3: Maenelbin Ibrahim, Sudan, 48.9
800m
1: Joseph Kiplimo, Kenya, 1:53.2
2: Adam. E. Adam, Sudan, 1:53.8
3: Herman Afeworl, Eritrea, 1:54.2
1500m
1: Joseph Kiplimo, Kenya, 3:49.4
2: Mateka Muinde, Kenya, 3:50.3
3: Isaac Sibihat, Eritrea, 3:51.4
3000m
1: Levi Mabebo, Kenya, 8:04.0
2: Isaa Fibhatu, Eritrea, 8:07.3
3: Evans Kibet, 8:11.5
Girls
100m
1: Nawal Eljack, Sudan, 12.3
2: Faiza Juma, Sudan, 12.6
3: Lina Utingu, Uganda, 12.8
200m
1: Nawal Eljack, Sudan, 24.5
2: Lydia Wafula, Kenya, 25.4
3: Lina Utingu, Uganda, 25.7
400m
1: Nawal Eljack, Sudan, 55.3
2: Nasrah Abdulla, Zanzibar, 17.3
3: Umaina Hassan, Sudan, 18.8
800m
1: Lydia Wafula, Kenya, 2:12.4
2: Winnie Chebet, Kenya, 2:14.1
3: Sheinit Tesfay, Eritrea, 2:16.3
1500m
1: Elly Kiplimo, Kenya, 4:30.1
2: Jerop Kimaina, Kenya, 4:31.1
3: Amina Bakhie, Sudan, 4:35.1
3000m
1: Jerop Kimaina, Kenya, 9:45.4
2: Purity Changwony, Kenya, 9:45.6
3: Mutwa Sammy, Kenya, 9:51.8
Peter Njenga (Daily Nation) for the IAAF
