Philadelphia 21 km champion Panuel Mkungo will captain the Coast region athletics team to Saturday’s National Cross Country Championship slated for Ngong Race course in Nairobi.

The five times National Cross Country champion is set to lead his team mates comprising of 42 athletes. 

The team that are under the tutelage of three officials, had pitched camp at the high altitude, Wundanyi training Camp  for the last one week to sharpen their skills.

Athletics Kenya (AK) Coast region chairman Dimmy Kisalu said that the team was in high spirits and there were no injuries to derail them from beating the rest.

“During thw last championships, we finished in position six out of 16 teams, this time round we want to pull a surprise, our athletes have been training hard at a high attitude camp in Taita therefore we expect to be in the same shape as the best,”Kisalu told People Daily.

On Saturday Taita Taveta County Governor Branton Samboja pledged a Sh300,000 cash donation to support the Coast Athletics team traveling to Nairobi for the competition.

Kisalu termed the donation as a big boost to the regional athletics, saying the gesture was be a motivation to the athletes and will be shared equally to the athletes and officials before the races.

Samboja made the donation during the Coast regional cross-country championship held at the Dawson Mwanyumba stadium in Taita Taveta county.

Meanwhile, the Taita Taveta county government is in the process of constructing a training camp in phases at the Ngerenyi Hills popularly known for hosting the annual Safaricom Madoka half Marathon.