For national champion Abunda, time is ripe to conquer the world

For national hammer-throwing champion Dominic Abunda, dominating the national scene is not enough.

In fact Abunda has set his eyes on conquering the continental as well as the international scene ahead of the upcoming major championships.

Abunda holds the national record of 61.38 metres, a distance he managed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games held in Gold Coast, Australia where he finished 16th.

The 26-year-old who hails from Suneka in Kisii County managed a throw of 61.54 at this year’s Kenya Defence Forces championships held a fortnight ago and although the new distance is yet to be ratified as a new national record, Abunda believes this might be the year of breakthroughs.

“I think I am gradually improving because from where I left last season and I am hoping to do even more at the national championships,” Abunda told Citizen Digital.

Having already qualified for the African Games to be held in Casablanca, Morocco on August 23-September 3, Abunda says he is raring to go for his maiden continental medal.

Similarly, this year’s World Championships is a major target for Abunda who is hopeful of hitting the qualification mark of 72m in the national championships in order to make the cut for the global showpiece.

“I think it is time to leave a mark in international championships and I am going to try my best in Morocco, to come home with a medal. For the Worlds, I am very much certain that with hard work in training I will qualify,” enthused Abunda.

Despite his enormous rise in the event, Abunda points out that there are huge challenges hindering the progress of the sport in the country.

“We don’t have enough facilities in the country like gyms which proves to be a challenge for our coaches to instill enough skills and techniques on us. However, we take heart from our colleagues in the field events who have already made it like Julius Yego who has done very well in javelin,” averred Abunda.

With Kenya well known for her prowess in the long-distance races, many may wonder why Abunda may have opted for a sport dominated by the Western countries, but he reveals that his journey in the sport draws back to his time at St Peters Suneka School.

“I received a lot of support from my teachers and family when I decided to join this sport and my advice to upcoming athletes is to work hard because a lot has changed and nowadays hammer is known unlike before,” concluded Abunda.