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| Augustine Choge © Action Images |
Kenyan athletics officials on Monday played down threats of a boycott of next month's World cross country championships by extending an invitation to all the athletes to compete in the national trials in Nairobi on
Saturday.
Some of the athletes, including former world junior champions
Augustine Choge and Pauline Korikwang and silver medallists Issac
Songok and Mercy Kosgei, were missing from the list of entries for the
championships which also serves as the Kenyan leg of the IAAF
cross-country permit series.
Athletics Kenya (AK) chairman Isaiah Kiplagat, however, said the
athletes had been granted wildcard entries to run and compete for
places in the team for the World cross country championships in
Edinburgh, Scotland, on March 30.
He said the athletes were assured of their security following
reports that some of them might be arrested for allegedly helping to
fuel the deadly post-election violence.
"I know there are people advocating or telling the athletes not to
participate in the trials," said Kiplagat.
"The threat to arrest them is just a rumour. I have spoken to all
the athletes and they are happy to compete," he added.
Kiplagat said they would ensure that the athletes were given
protection to train in a safe place for the world championships.
Kenya will defend the overall title they reclaimed in the Kenyan
town of Mombasa last year.
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