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L. MathekaWatch this space, Pingua is back!
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Reading Time: 2min | Wed. 15.09.21. | 09:31
The second edition of the World Athletics Continental Tour is set for 18 September at Kasarani.
During the just-concluded World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Nairobi, watching Benson Kiplagat stomp pre-race favourite Tadese Worku of Ethiopia to defend Kenya's gold in men's 5000m brought back memories of Edward Pingua Zakayo doing the same in the last edition in Tampere, Finland.
He had become a darling of the athletics fraternity, having shot to the limelight in 2017, when he made the team for the World Under-18 Championships in Nairobi and went on to bag silver in 3,000m behind Ethiopia's Selemon Barega.
"This is a big event for us. Since this is our second year running we also hope to host Diamond League series in the future. I urge all athletics fans to follow the event on @ntvkenya," Dr. Amina Mohammed Cabinet Secretary @moscakenya#AbsaKipKeinoClassic#ContinentalTourGold pic.twitter.com/0DheG3KnWm
— Absa Kip Keino Classic Continental Tour (@KipKeinoClassic) September 13, 2021
Before that, the Commonwealth bronze medalist has announced his arrival with a second-place finish in 5000m at the national championships in 2014. In 2018 during the Under-20 Championships in Tampere, he defeated all and sundry in 5,000m for gold, beating his rival Barega who came a distant fourth.
Guess who's in town?👀
— Absa Kip Keino Classic Continental Tour (@KipKeinoClassic) September 11, 2021
The man who ended Kenya's dominance in the steeplechase at the Tokyo Olympics:
Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco 🇲🇦
He will be making his debut in #KipkeinoClassic
And he is ready to rumble 🔥 #ContinentalTourGold pic.twitter.com/fw3GfqZXOw
Zakayo clocked 13:20.16 ahead of his compatriot Stanley Waithaka who timed 13:2057 while Olympics 15000m champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen was third clocking 13:20.78.
The Africa Under-20 champion in 5000m has not had a competitive race since September 2019 during the Kenyan trials for the World Athletics Championships for Doha when he finished ninth in his race. He competed while sick and thus missed the Championships in Doha, Qatar.
He has been battling a hip injury that also ruled him out of the Olympic Games among other competitions. However, the teenager is looking to make a comeback, using this weekend’s World Athletics Continental Gold Tour, the Kip Keino Classic set for Kasarani.
“It has been difficult not doing what I love. I believe I have taken my time to have the right recovery. Injuries need a lot of mental toughness and I am hoping I can return better, faster, and stronger," he said in an interview with the organisers.
If he elects to go for the 5000m crown, which is a discretionary event in the one-day championship, he will face stiff competition from a field likely to include Olympians Nicholas Kimeli, Daniel Simiu as well as Jacob Krop who is fresh from winning Adidas' 'Road to Records' 5k race if they enter the Kip Keino event. The list of entrants is yet to be released.
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