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• Rugby 7s National Circuit starts...shall this dent Kenya's preparations to Commonwealth Games

  Posted: August 21, 2010, 4:17 pm by SportsKenya

  The local rugby scene comes alive again with the start of the 7s circuit starting with the Christie 7s. This being the breeding grounds of our national 7s teams, conflicting information has it that the Kenya Rugby Union intended for the Kenyan national team players to be excluded from the initial tournaments to enable them prepare for the October Commonwealth Games in India.
  Given that quite a number of teams in the Commonwealth Games also feature in the IRB circuit, the concern of the national office is an important thing to note. The local clubs have argued otherwise with some contenders such as Mwamba having 4 of their key players in the national team. With the release of the players for them to feature in the opening event ( there are 5 events in the 7s circuit proudly sponsored by Western Union), we do hope other players in the clubs shall make an impression to beef up the national team which in serious need of raise after the 2009/10 under par showing in the IRB series.
  The Commonwealth Games shall also serve as a good curtain-raiser but surely hope the players do not suffer burn-out from over-exposure in the number of games to be played throughout from 2010 to 2011.

• Nancy Lagat proves she's no fluke on the World Athletics stage

  Posted: August 21, 2010, 4:06 pm by SportsKenya

  (Images courtesy of www.diamondleague.com & Gladys Chai)August 2008 Beijing : Kenya is quickly trying to prove that the Games are not a flop after waiting till the last few days to get a respectable medal haul. It being a Saturday, Kenyans were waiting for their captain to lead from the front - this was none other that Wilfred Bung'ei who needed to break his duck in the 800m by winning the gold that had eluded him for so long. To win he did win, but on that same day, Kenyans were treated to a double gold when an uncelebrated and usually quiet lady by the name Nancy Lagat beating a strong Ukrainian team which had looked favoured to win the race. She was only the second woman to win a gold medal in the Olympics for Kenya after Pamela Jelimo had blazed the field to claim Kenya's first Olympic gold in the women's 800m.
  {that same season Pamela Jelimo won the Golden League jackpot becoming the first and only Kenyan athlete  to do so - it has since been replaced by the Diamond League}
  
  Fast forward to August 2010: With the new-look Diamond League - which features 14 events in athletics (including both track and field events, across the breadth of Europe, a race from China as well as Doha in the Middle East and also for the first time an American GP event; among the favourites to win the jackpot is yes Nancy Lagat. She won 8 out of the 14 races and was thus among the athletes honoured with the first Diamond League Ambassador status.
  
  What's more she made time to compete in the African Athletics Championships and won her speciality with ease. Much gratitude for her consistence on the field this season and also for returning Kenyan's own in the Grand Prix athletics series after Pamela Jelimo exploits ( where is this lady, one-season wonder or...? ). What next the Commonwealth Games?
  I'm sure this might earn her a photo-op with the Kenyan Head of State, like Pamela in 2008 ( but thankfully any suitors will be sad to learn she is married to a fellow athlete , serves in the Kenya Army and thus she keeps all the loot....)
  
  
  ALSO in: 
  Paul Kipsiele of the 3000m steeplechase also shared the podium as a Diamond League Ambassador even after being beaten by Ezekiel Kemboi in this Kenyan speciality. Congratulations in order too. 

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Fish cakes

Alas a fish cake.

Yet more fish cakes

Guess what ... yeah ... fish cakes.

The end of the fish cakes