1.
GV Start of men's 800 metres and finish (three shots)
0.54

2.
SV Start of men's 100 metres
1.12

3.
GV Start and finish of men's 1500 metres
1.42

4.
GV Crowd
1.46

5.
GV Start and finish of men's 400 metres
2.18

6.
GV and CU Tug of War (3 shots)
2.51



Initials ET/2249 ET/2328


SPORT: ATHLETICS

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: On the final day of the Kenya Armed Forces Athletics Championships in Nairobi on Saturday (3 August) the Seventh Kenya Rifles Battallion retained the Armed Forces Athletic Trophy by scoring 145 points in the major units section. The Armed Forces Training College won the minor units to lift the trophy for the fourth time.

The meeting at the Langata Stadium lived up to its usual high standard of performances. Highlights included Serom of the 3rd Kenya Rifles setting a record in the 15,000 metres when eh clocked 3 minutes 47.5 seconds. Also from the 3rd Kenya Rifles, Kenya's Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist Charles Asati won the 400 metres in 46.9 seconds, but failed to better his 46.3 second best performance on the previous day.

SYNOPSIS: Top-ranking athletes with established reputations and aspiring newcomers gathered at the Langata Stadium, Nairobi on Friday and Saturday. They were competing in the annual Kenya Armed Forces Athletics championships and the meeting produced some good form.... with the Seventh Kenya Rifles Batallion retaining the Armed Forces Trophy with a score of one hundred and forty five points. There was some disappointment, however, with the non-appearance of Tanzanian track star Filbert Bayi. He was scheduled to run in the eight hundred metres race and the fifteen hundred metres, but with - drew at the last moment, he said he was got fully recovered from an injury sustaines during a race in Oslo, Norway, last month.

In the minor units section the Armed Forces Training College won the trophy for the fourth time.

The men's fifteen hundred metres race was the highspot of the final day, with Serem of the third Kenya Rifles winning with a new record time of three minutes, forty-seven point five seconds.

Charles Asati, Kenya's Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist, won the men's four hundred metres race in forty six point nine seconds. he failed to better his forty-six point three second best time recorded during heats for the main races on Friday. Despite the absence of star performers the championships lived up to their usual high standards and helped a few promising young athletes to make a name for themselves.