Kenya's Chespol, Ndiwa target wins at Africa XC, C' wealth Games

By John Kwoba

NAIROBI, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- World junior 3000m steeplechase record holder Celphine Chespol of Kenya hopes she will withstand the pressure of her senior colleagues to make the Kenya team to the Africa Cross Country championships and the Commonwealth Games.

The 18-year old is hopeful of a successful season as a senior athlete and want to put her own mark in the sport by winning gold for Kenya in the two competitions.

The Africa Cross Country Championships will be held on March 14 in Chlef, Algeria, while the Commonwealth Games will be hosted in Gold Coast City in Australia in April 4-15.

"I have to work harder to make the cut in the explosive national championships in two weeks' time," Chespol said on Sunday.

The teenager was beaten during the Kenya prisons cross country competition in Nairobi on Saturday with Africa 10,000m champion Alice Aprot winning.

But it did not dampen Chespol's spirits as she hopes she will recover to stage a stronger show in quest for tickets in the Kenya team.

"I have high expectations for the Africa Cross and the Commonwealth Games. It is down to focus and I have what it takes to train hard and wait for the world to see how I perform in Gold Coast," she said.

Another athlete, who is on the radar of the Africa Cross Country championships, is Stacy Ndiwa, who finished fifth at the 2015 World Cross Country Championships in Guiyang, China.

Ndiwa, who won in Kenya Police championships said it was a tough race and hopes the hard work, will earn her a ticket to Africa Cross country in Chelf.

"The course was hard and the temperatures soaring high. But I withstood that and won. Now let see what Africa has in store, but I believe I have what it takes to win gold," said Ndiwa.

The 25-year-old Ndiwa also said she is keen to take a shot at the 10,000m during the Commonwealth Games trials next month. Enditem