Kenyan coach Mlamba Mwaniki has praised the performance of his boys despite the fact that they missed out on medals in the 10,000m race on the opening day of the ongoing African Senior Athletics Championship in Asaba, Delta State.

Team Kenya had earlier threatened to pull out of the competition after they were left stranded by organisers at the Muritala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos on Tuesday.

In swift response to the threat, organisers were able to sort out the Kenyan athletes’ accommodation on Tuesday night before they flew into Asaba on the opening day of the competition.

Speaking about his boys and their performance in the 10,000m race, Mwaniki praised them but blamed tiredness from the chaotic journey to Asaba as the reason behind the failure to win at least a medal in the race.

He said: “I would say my boys have done very well. They were tired because of the struggles we had in Lagos.”

Mlamba Mwaniki said his athletes would have won the race easily.

“We could have won the race easily. Due to tiredness, my boys couldn’t have done better than what they did.”

In the absence of a strong performance from the Kenyans, Ethiopia won gold and silver medals through Jamal Vime Mekonen (29.09.17s) and Andamlak Belihu Berta (29.11.09s) respectively while Timothy Tirotich of Uganda clinched the bronze medal with a time of 29.11.87s.