OMANYALA AND MORAA OF THE 83 ATHLETES SELECTED FOR THE WORLD ATHLETICS RELAY TRIALS

Top of the list of 83 competitors invited by Athletics Kenya (AK) to participate in Saturday's trials at Nyayo to choose a squad for the World Athletics Relay is Africa and Commonwealth 100-meter champion Ferdinard Omanyala.

Other sprinters vying for a spot on Team Kenya are Hesbon Ochieng, Mike Mokamba, Isaac Omurwa, the younger brother of Omanyala, and three-time national 100-meter champion Mark Otieno.

The women's lineup includes sprinter Joan Cherono, veteran Milicent Ndoro, and world 800-meter champion Mary Moraa.

Men's and women's 4x100- and 4x400-meter relays, as well as the 4x400-meter mixed relay, are among the planned events.

Only the invited athletes will compete at Nyayo to make Kenya's team for the global event that will take place in Nassau, Bahamas from May 4-5, according to the authority that oversees athletics.

Additionally, AK said that during the trials, the relay teams will face off against invited foreign teams from Tanzania and Uganda.

Kenya's 4x100m relay team will also use the World Athletics Relay as a springboard to the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024.

In the 4x100m, Africa's fastest man, Omanyala, may team up with Otieno in an attempt to improve the relay time needed to qualify for the Olympics.

Kenya is now ranked 15th in the men's 4x400m, 20th in the mixed relay, and 27th in the men's 4x100m. The women's 4x400m is currently ranked 25th.

Kenya needs to perform well in the World Athletics Relay, where only the top 14 teams will advance to the Paris Games, to guarantee a position in the Olympics.