OPINION: Why Athletics Kenya cancellation of Indoor Trials is pragmatic rather than evasive

The cancellation of the World Athletics Indoor Trials by Athletics Kenya feels abrupt, but it is also revealing. At first glance, scrapping a head-to-head selection race looks like a retreat. On deeper reflection, it may be a reluctant admission of reality and a gamble shaped by Kenya’s complicated relationship with indoor athletics.

Kenya returns to the World Indoors still haunted by the last global outing in Nanjing, China, where Team Kenya came home empty-handed. For a nation accustomed to medal-laden homecomings, that silence on the podium was loud. It exposed a long-standing truth: Kenya is an outdoor colossus, but indoors demands a different ecosystem.

By opting for a time-based and merit-based selection after the qualification window closes on March 8, Athletics Kenya is effectively acknowledging that local trials on grass or outdoor tracks cannot fairly mirror the demands of indoor racing. With no standard indoor track in the country, asking athletes to qualify locally has often been more symbolic than scientific. In that sense, the decision feels pragmatic rather than evasive.

Still, there is a cost. Trials are not just about times; they are about pressure, race craft and proving form on the day. Handpicking athletes based on European indoor meets tilts the field toward those already competing abroad, potentially locking out talented runners without access to the indoor circuit. Transparency will be key; perception could quickly turn this into a debate about favoritism.

History offers both comfort and caution. Kenya’s indoor golden era, led by the likes of Paul Ereng and Daniel Komen, showed that endurance talent can dominate short, banked tracks. More recently, athletes such as Hellen Obiri and Beatrice Chepkoech have kept that flame alive, even as overall medal returns dipped in Glasgow 2024.

Encouragingly, the current crop looks promising. Dorcas Ewoi’s world-leading 1,500m time, Noah Kibet’s proven pedigree, and the intriguing inclusion of Ferdinand Omanyala in the 60m suggest Kenya is not simply showing up to make numbers. It is choosing precision over volume.

In the end, this approach will be judged in Poland. If medals come, the decision will be framed as bold realism. If they do not, questions will linger about whether Kenya is drifting further from the indoor conversation.

 For now, Athletics Kenya has chosen a quieter path, one that trades spectacle for strategy, and hopes history bends back in its favour.