Kenyan cyclists Daniel Kiptala and Billy Graham kicked off Team Kenya’s participation in the Commonwealth Youth Games today, competing in the individual time trials.
Kenyan cyclists Daniel Kiptala and Billy graham opened competition for team Kenya today in the individual time trials. Daniel came in 12th while Billy Graham finished 23rd in an event where South Africa took top honors.
This result left Kenya placed second in Africa ahead of counterparts Namibia, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Ghana. The team is set to compete in the road race on Monday and they look forward to doing even much better than in the time trials.
In an interview with the two cyclists and coach ,one thing came out clear and that was the weather conditions which were a little different from that which they trained in back home during the residential camp.
Billy Graham, reflecting on his performance, shared, “Our main challenge today was the fluctuating weather conditions, with the high temperatures and rain affecting our rhythm. I had to make sure I paced myself to avoid accidents and injuries, especially with the road race ahead on Monday. I am confident that I will deliver improved results during the road race.”
With their eyes set on the upcoming road race scheduled for Monday, the Kenyan cycling team remains undeterred by the results of the individual time trials. The team is optimistic about their prospects and aims to outperform their earlier performance.
The girls Beach Volleyball team on the other hand stunned Bermuda with a two straight set 2-0 win in their first match of the Youth Club Games.Abigail Chebet and Sharon Jepkogei will be looking to keep the momentum going when they play hosts Trinidad and Tobago in another group A match at the Black Rock Facility in Tobago.
In Swimming Aker Mutinda and Sara Mose take a dive into the competitions with both in the first event which is the 50m butterfly. Sara and Aker will be in heats 3 and 4 respectively