Edmund Serem: World U20 champion reveals desire to restore Kenya’s glory in steeplechase

World U20 steeplechase champion Edmund Serem has revealed his deep desire to help the country get back to its glory days in the steeplechase.

Serem triumphed during the U20 finals in Lima, Peru, and hopes he can carry on the same performances when he finally participates in the senior race.

While sharing his future vision, Serem says he has the full backing of his family members.

“Most of my friends and relatives now believe more in me and see our dream to restore the steeplechase glory to Kenya becoming a reality. Many are telling me that my brother and I are the potential runners to dominate the steeplechase in the future,” Serem said as per World Athletics.

Kenya’s dominance in the steeplechase has come under threat in recent times. Previously, Kenya won every Olympic title in the men’s 3000m steeplechase from 1968 to 2016, apart from two editions of the Games that the country boycotted.

In 2021, the dominance was put to an end when Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco won gold in Tokyo. Since then, Bakkali has won three more global titles, while the world record was broken last year by Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma.

As he aims to conquer the world, Serem reveals how big his father’s helping hand has been since the time he was a child.

“He would buy training shoes and running apparel and provide transport money for us to attend all the weekend meetings in the region.

“He would show us videos of Ezekiel Kemboi, Brimin Kipruto, Conseslus Kipruto, and other steeplechasers competing at major championships. He erected barriers for us to practice jumping over and was so careful in choosing the right surfaces for us to do so as he didn’t want us to get injured,” he added.

High-level meeting

When Sports Cabinet Secretary and Athletics Kenya recently met to discuss ideas for maintaining Kenya’s dominance in athletics, Serem was one of the attendees.

“We talked about strategic plans to nurture and work with the young and emerging stars to maintain Kenya’s glory in athletics into the future, especially in the steeplechase.

“In recent years the men’s steeplechase has been dominated mostly by Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali, but we plan to end that,” Serem revealed.