FASU Games 2022: Athletics to light up Day 3 action as football enters last group matches

Bragging rights will be up for grabs in Day 3 of the FASU (Federation of African University Sports) Games currently ongoing at the Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya when athletes head out for the first time to showcase their track and field prowess.

Day 1 and 2 of the Games involved a majority of individual games such as chess, karate, tennis and the first and second round of football matches but day 3 promises fireworks with athletics taking centre stage over two consecutive days.

The races, which have been slotted for the morning session, will see athletes, both men and women, compete in the 400m (hurdles), 10,000m, 100m, 400m, 800m, 200m, 3000m (steeplechase), 5000m and 4X100m races. Discus, high jump, long jump and shot put will also take place during that session.

Local sprinter Mark Kang’ethe, who will be representing Kenya’s Strathmore University in the 100m and 200m races, will be hoping to stake his claim in the short race as he prepares for the Commonwealth Games trials slated for June 24 and 25 alongside the trials for the World Athletics Championships.

"I have prepared well and I will be looking forward to a good competition, though I know it will be a tough affair because we have strong athletes from various universities. I am eyeing a podium position in the two events where I will be targeting to run 10.21 in the 100m race and 20.70 in the 200m," Kang'ethe told Nation.

The Kenyan man will be facing competition from the University of Ghana who have vowed to take the 100 m gold medal back with them. They boast of having Solomon Hammond, a youngster who has qualified for the upcoming World U20 World Championships Games set to be held in Cali, Colombia in August this year.

Athletics shall be held for two days with the 400m hurdles final starting at 10am followed by 100m semifinals.

FASU 2022: Team Ghana beat war drums in men's 100m dash

In football, four teams will be advancing to the semifinal stages after the last round of group matches are played. Pool A has University of Guinea, American University of Cairo, Kenyatta University (KU) and Makerere University Business School while Pool B has Kisii University, University of Development Studies (Ghana), University of Zambia, Makerere University.

KU who won one and lost one will be fighting to win their remaining pool match to secure their place in the last four.

There is a lot at stake in the football games as the top teams will be Africa’s representative teams to the FISU University World Cup Soccer 2023 for both men and women to be held in Jinjiang, China.