Kip Keino Classic: Why Namibian sprinter Christine Mboma is expecting great show

Kip Keino Classic: Why Namibian sprinter Christine Mboma is expecting great show

Festus Chuma 15:40 - 19.04.2024

Christine Mboma is eagerly returning to competition at the Kip Keino Classic after a challenging hiatus.

Namibian sprinter Christine Mboma is set to make a powerful return to the track at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi on Saturday.

Mboma, who last competed in the 200m at the 2022 Commonwealth Games where she clinched a bronze, has been sidelined due to stringent eligibility rules for athletes with differences in sexual development (DSD).

Despite the challenges Mboma has maintained her rigorous training regimen which she credits for keeping her spirits high during her enforced hiatus.

 "Training made me not lose hope, and then also it helped me with managing the stuff that I was going through," Mboma told BBC Sport Africa.

Looking forward to the Kip Keino Classic Mboma is not just returning to competition but she is returning to a venue that holds both painful and promising memories. 

"It has been a long time since I have run. I'm looking forward to run again," she expressed with a mix of anticipation and relief. 

Her previous outing in Nairobi was marred by a thigh injury, which she describes as "awful" and admits still gives her flashbacks.

However, this time, Mboma is focused on making a triumphant return. 

"I am happy to be back to the place I love, which is running," she added.

The event in Nairobi, a World Athletics Continental Tour gold meet, promises to be a platform where Mboma can redefine her athletic career.

The young sprinter's journey has been fraught with obstacles, notably the World Athletics' decision in 2023 to revise its regulations further, barring DSD athletes from competing in any track events unless they reduced their high testosterone levels. 

This change left Mboma out of all competition until she complied with the new regulations including missing what would have been her first senior World Championships.

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