Clinton Aluvi Makes History as First Kenyan to Win Men’s 100m Gold at African U-20 Championships
Nairobi, The Gulf Observer: Nineteen-year-old sprint sensation Clinton Aluvi has etched his name into the annals of Kenyan athletics history by becoming the first-ever Kenyan to win gold in the men’s 100m at the African Under-20 Championships, held in Abeokuta, Nigeria.
Aluvi clinched victory in 10.45 seconds, outpacing South Africa’s Karabo Letebele (10.54) and Nigeria’s Caleb John (10.61) in a tightly contested final, marking a momentous debut on the continental stage.
Speaking upon his arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Tuesday, Aluvi expressed gratitude and excitement about his future prospects:
“Going forward, I know I will be representing Kenya in major competitions.”
A member of Utawala Sprints Club, Aluvi is already set to return to international duty, having been named in Kenya’s 4x100m relay team for the upcoming Tokyo World Championships. The team features a formidable lineup, including Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala, as well as Steve Odhiambo, Meshack Babu, Mark Otieno, Dennis Mwai, and Isaac Omurwa.
Despite this being his first international competition, Aluvi attributed his success to the unwavering support from his coaches and teammates:
“The coaches believed I would deliver, and I am thankful for that. My team, Utawala Sprints Club, also gave me a lot of motivation.”
He also credited Ferdinand Omanyala, who visited the team’s residential camp at Moi Stadium, Kasarani, for his inspiring words:
“Omanyala encouraged us a lot. His visit to our camp gave us the motivation we needed.”
Kenya’s overall performance at the African U-20 Championships was impressive, with Team Kenya securing 34 medals — 13 gold, 12 silver, and 9 bronze.
While celebrating the triumphs, Aluvi also made a heartfelt appeal to Athletics Kenya to invest more in sprinting, particularly for women:
“In sprints, we are coming up well. I hope the federation can support us more, especially the female sprinters, because we don’t have many in the country.”
He shared light-heartedly that the only major challenge in Nigeria was adapting to the spicy local cuisine:
“The food was very spicy, but we spoke to the coaches and adjustments were made.”
Athletics Kenya Youth Secretary Joseph Ilovi praised the team’s achievements, describing them as a positive sign for the future of Kenyan sprinting.
With his record-breaking feat, Clinton Aluvi has not only inspired a new generation of sprinters but also placed Kenya firmly on the map in short-distance athletics — a domain long dominated by other African nations.
