The Athletics Kenya (AK) ordered 119 men and women to go to the western town of Eldoret by May 20 for training ahead of the August Olympics where the east African nation has vowed to revive its fading reputation.

"Every athlete selected must report to camp on May 20 and if they are not there by the deadline then they will be left out of the Olympic trials," said AK chief Isaiah Kiplagat.

"We are not going to favour anyone.

Whether you are the best in the world today or a favourite in Beijing, you must attend the camp or be left out."

Kiplagat warned agents against blocking athletes from joining the camp.

"If an agent, coach or manager stops an athlete from going to camp, then AK shall ban him from representing Kenyan athletes with immediate effect."

"In the past, we have been accused of having haphazard preparations and it is our goal to change that.

Having a Kenyan athlete get lapped in (African Athletics championships in) Addis Ababa was a wake-up call and we must heed it."

The tough-talking AK chief said the panel will allow athletes to participate in Grand Prix meets as long as they consult with head coach Julius Kirwa.

"We must have a unified programme and Kirwa must know what programmes athletes have.

Both training and competition programmes so that he is able to monitor which athlete has done enough for the season or which athlete needs a break," he said.

The National Olympic Committee of Kenya will fund the training camp to the tune of 33 000 dollars.

Kenya, once reputed as the home to unbeatable long-distance runners, has lost that reputation to neighbouring Ethiopia.

In addition, the country has lost some of its heavyweights to Europe, United States and Qatar in recent years.

Nampa-AFP

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