Young and promising steeplechase star Pamela Kosgei is oozing with confidence that she will better her performance at the Africa under 20 Athletics Championships to bring home the gold medal from the continental showpiece in Lusaka, Zambia.

Kosgei, 19, a younger sister to women’s world marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei will be donning team Kenya’s magnificent red and green top for the third time after her debut in Cali, Colombia last year in during the World U-20 Championships and this year’s World Cross Country Championships that was held in Australia.

In Cali, she did not encapsulate her great prospects as she finished fifth in the women’s 3000m steeplechase final (10:06,46), a race that was won by her team-mate Faith Cherotich (9:16,14).

“My target is to bring home a gold medal but my main goal is to improve on my time of 9:43 that I registered during the trials last week. I hope the weather will be good in Zambia to help me achieve my target on time and podium finish,” Kosgei told People Daily Sport.

The youngster has opened up on what happened in Colombia that led to her fifth-place finish. According to her she had trained well and was in top frame for a podium crowning but her ambitions were dented after she hit one of the water barriers.

Athletics Kenya Head of Youth Development Barba Korir has expressed optimism that the selected team Kenya athletes will perform beyond expectations in the Zambian capital.

“We are taking a team that will do very well in Lusaka, Zambia.

Three years ago, our boys and girls gave a good show and we managed to win the U-18 title in Ivory Coast and for the U-20 Championships we finished second after South Africa. I believe this is the time to defend and reclaim the titles of course with the knowledge that we still have strong opposition from Ethiopia, Uganda, South Africa and Nigeria especially in the field events and sprints so we have to be ready to compete strongly with those countries to make sure we come on top,” Korir said.

Athletics Kenya selected 53 athletes for the two championships (U-18 and U-20) set for 29th April to 3rd May at the National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka.

The teams were set to hit a residential camp yesterday in Nairobi.