• ATHLETICS

• Frank Rotich 5 days ago

Omanyala, Oketch lead Kenyans to post impressive results in Botswana

Kenya delivered an impressive performance at the Lefika International Relays in Gaborone, Botswana, boosting the country’s hopes of qualifying for the upcoming World Athletics Relays.

Led by Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala and rising sprint star Mercy Oketch, Team Kenya put up strong results across several relay events, showing great teamwork and speed on the international stage.

Omanyala, who has been recovering from an injury-hit indoor season, returned in fine form and played a key role in guiding the team.

He was part of a strong Kenyan squad that included Boniface Mweresa, Millicent Ndoro, Meshack Babu, Dennis Mwai, Allan Kipyego, Danson Kibet, Naomi Mwangi, and Mercy Chebet.

In the mixed 4x100m relay, Kenya finished second behind Nigeria but still made history by setting a new national record of 41.70 seconds.

The team, made up of Omanyala, Oketch, Mweresa, and Ndoro, pushed hard throughout the race, with Oketch delivering a strong final leg.

Nigeria won the race in 41.44 seconds, also setting a national record in a tightly contested event.

Kenya also impressed in the men’s 4x100m relay, finishing second again behind Nigeria. Omanyala anchored the team and helped them clock 39.12 seconds, just behind Nigeria’s winning time of 38.98 seconds. Hosts Botswana came third.

However, Kenya’s biggest highlight came in the mixed 4x400m relay, where the team won gold. The quartet of Allan Kipyego, Mercy Chebet, Kevin Kipkorir, and Mercy Oketch dominated the race and crossed the line in 3:14.04.

Nigeria finished second, while South Africa took third place in the race.

Kenya continued its strong showing in the men’s 4x400m relay, where George Mutinda, Danson Kibet, Erastus Mbaluka, and Allan Kipyego combined well to win gold after a determined performance. Zimbabwe finished second.

Despite missing out on some top spots, Kenya’s strong results have improved their position in the global “Road to Botswana” rankings.

The team has now moved up and must maintain its place until early April to secure qualification for the World Athletics Relays set for May 2 and 3 in Gaborone.

Overall, the performances in Botswana show that Kenya is building a strong relay team ahead of the global event, with Omanyala and Oketch leading the charge.