Africa-Press – Kenya. Former Ulinzi Starlets defender Maureen Akisa believes a shot put medal at the upcoming World Under 20 Championships will be the perfect reward for quitting football in favour of the field event.
Akisa will be the country’s sole representative in the women’s shot put during the biennial event set for August 17-22 on home soil at Moi Stadium, Kasarani.
“I have a passion for both sports, but my heart is in shot put hence I feel I can go far with the sport. I would like to make it one day to the podium,”the 19-year old from Busia county said.
In the men’s division, Dominic Kiprotich will be gunning for his first medal in a sport he has invested much time in since his primary school days.
“I started competing in the discipline back in 2015 while in primary school. My friend Nelson Yego challenged me to venture into the sports world. At first, I tried out javelin but my body did not respond to it. That’s when I made a decision to try out shot put. In shot put, I went up to regional level. I did not advance very far because I lacked implements and a coach,” Kiprotich said.
The 17-year old is currently training at the Moi Stadium, Kasarani and believes he only needs to brush up on certain aspects of his skills to get into a prime position for the podium.
“Right now, my main focus is to work on the release and throw techniques,” the 17-year old from Kiberes Mixed Secondary School said.
