Kenya risks losing one of its brightest sprinting prospects Lydia Barasa after the teenage double gold medallist was controversially placed in a long-distance training camp in Kaptama, Mt Elgon, despite her proven prowess in the 100m and 200m races.

Athletics stakeholders now fear that the rising star, hailed as the female version of Ferdinand Omanyala, could see her sprinting potential squandered if urgent steps aren’t taken to relocate her to a short-distance specialist facility.

The 19-year-old Barasa registered double wins in the 100m and 200m races, clocking 12.2 seconds in the 100m during the national Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) Term One Games held at Machakos Boys High School last year.

She clinched gold medals and etched her school’s name on the country’s KSSSA athletics map.

Barasa’s feat delighted the school fraternity, led by Principal Everlyne Kisanda, games teacher Robert Mchanga, Western regional KSSSA secretary Quinto Omusugu, Vihiga County Sports Association counterpart Homer Mugalitsi and the athlete’s father, Anthony Barasa.

Athletics stakeholders also lauded Western regional secondary schools athletics coach Rolex Kipchoge for moulding school runners in the region.

Barasa’s twin victories earned her qualification to the Federation of Eastern Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSA) competition, held in Eastern Uganda in 2024.

Then a Form Four student at Kikai Secondary School in Bungoma West sub-county, Bungoma County, Barasa was enlisted after completing her studies by coach Shem Kororio into a long-distance training camp in Kaptama, Mt Elgon, located along the Uganda border, north of Lake Victoria and west of Kitale.

The decision to place Barasa in the Kaptama camp has not been embraced by athletics stakeholders in the Western region.

Speaking to PD Wikendi, Western regional schools athletics coach Kipchoge discredited the move, arguing that placing Barasa in a long-distance athletes’ camp would ruin the youthful sprinter’s bright career: “Enlisting the athlete in a long-distance training camp is going to ruin her bright career,” Kipchoge lamented.

He revealed that Western athletics officials have gathered that trainers at the long-distance camp are trying to convert Barasa into an 800m athlete.

Kipchoge, a World Athletics Level One trained coach and a teacher at Chesito Mixed Secondary School in Bungoma County, added, “The sprint in the athlete is likely to be ruined in a short time by converting her into a long-distance athlete.”

“The athlete seriously needs someone to mentor her in the 100m, to exploit her immense potential and develop her athletics talent further. She needs proper mentorship, physically and mentally. Once she gets the right guidance and technical training, the athlete will be good to go and conquer the world in short-distance races; 100m and 200m,” Kipchoge said.

The World Athletics coach recommended that the 2024 national KSSSA 100m and 200m sensation be urgently relocated to short-distance training camps in Kisii County.

Kipchoge explained that the Kisii camp has good trainers, such as Kenya’s former athlete Thomas Osano, who won gold in the 10,000m at the 1991 African Games and finished fourth at the 1987 Tokyo meet.

Osano is currently training Brian Okoth of Riooga Mixed Secondary School, who clocked 10.34 seconds during the Nyanza regional school games.

Okoth broke Omanyala’s maiden 100m record of 10.37 seconds, which was posted in Kakamega in 2015 shortly after Omanyala switched from rugby to athletics while studying at the University of Nairobi (UoN). He was encouraged to venture into athletics by a friend.

“Other good short-distance training camps include the Kenya Police camp, Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), Prisons camp, and possibly Omanyala’s reported training base,” Kipchoge advised.

He urged Western athletics officials to intervene and save the athlete’s career, which is at risk of being derailed.

Barasa’s former games teacher, Mchanga, agreed with Kipchoge, saying there is an urgent need to relocate the sprinter to a 100m, 200m and 400m training camp.

“I hear there is someone in Kisii County who is a good short-distance races coach,” Mchanga added.

Nyanza North Athletics Kenya (AK) secretary Thomas Ogwacho also weighed in on the matter, saying, “Ideally, when one has shown talent in a particular race, you don’t change the event. In my opinion, there is need to relocate the athlete, Lydia. She should be given a chance to sprint, because she is a sprinter. And since she is a sprinter, she should be allowed to grow slowly in that path.”

Western regional KSSSA secretary Omusugu said the region’s short-distance athletic potential remains unexploited due to the failure of AK officials to deploy technical trainers to the area to tap into the talent. He urged AK to actively scout for talent at the grassroots level.

“AK officials have never come to KSSSA games. Yet, they are quick to criticise the momentous records that student athletes are posting at these competitions,” he lamented.