NAIROBI, Aug. 9 -- A retired Kenyan international athlete on Thursday called on the country's sports authorities to diversify in sprints and field events after Kenya proved its prowess in middle and long-distance events.

Barnaba Korir, who represented the athletics-mad East African nation in long distance events, said Kenya has nothing more to prove in the races it has dominated for years but should now cast its net wide in order to improve the medal tally during international competitions.

"Our sprinters performed well at the recently-concluded African Athletics Championship in Nigeria, whereas the field event athletes displayed remarkable improvements. As athletics stakeholders, we need to come together and find a way if how to take the team forward," Korir said.

The former 10,000m runner, who is in charge of youth development at Athletics Kenya, said options must be explored to take the sprints team to the next level and proposed that this can be done through training abroad in the best facilities.

"Now with the 2019 World Championships in Qatar and 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo looming, it's important for the country to start preparations early with a bias in sprints and field events," he noted.

During the continental event, Kenya won gold medals in javelin and 4x400m relays, whereas other sprinters performed exemplarily during the preliminary stages.

Seraphino Antao is the most celebrated Kenyan sprinter, having won gold medals in several international competitions in the pioneer days, and no other sprinter of worth surfaced until the 1990s when the duo of Joseph Gikonyo and Kennedy Ondieki hit the scene where they dominated the continental scene in 100m and 200m competitions.

【体坛英语资讯：Runner Korir urges Kenya to branch out to sprints, field events】相关文章：

★ 体坛英语资讯：McGrady leads Rockets past Jazz 106-95

★ 娱乐英语资讯：Cruz sisters don fedoras for Mango ads

★ 体坛英语资讯：Inter maintain lead with 2-0 win at Fiorentina

★ 娱乐英语资讯：Madonna link? Report says Rodriguez, wife split up

★ 娱乐英语资讯：Matt Damon named sexiest man alive

★ 体坛英语资讯：Germany seal berth of Euro 2008 semifinals

★ 体坛英语资讯：Jazz, Spurs pull even with wins

★ 体坛英语资讯：Government cooperation needed in doping fight

★ 体坛英语资讯：China wins womens team title at table tennis worlds

★ 体坛英语资讯：Figure skating pairs eager for first Olympic gold