Kenya’s Elias Ngeny ran the fastest time in men’s 800m race at the ongoing 22nd edition of the Africa Senior Athletics Championships at the newly refurbished Cote d’Or National Sports Complex in Reduit, Mauritius.

The 24-year-old, who is a Global Sports Communication based athlete gave the country hopes when took the top honors in heat one in a scintillating time of 1:47.32 with Ethiopia’s Tolessa Nabil coming in second in 1:47.82 and  South Africa’s Jabulane Ncamane coming home in third in 1:47.82 to qualify for the semi-finals.

Ethiopia’s Efrem Weldegebrel took the top spot in heat two in 1:49.96 with South Africa’s Kabelo Mohlosi coming home in second in 1:50.21. These two got the automatic qualification to the next round.

In heat three race all five participants made it to the next round as they met the qualifying time. Botswana’s Tshepiso Masalela won the heat in 1:48.69 followed by Tunisia’s Chimimmi Riadhi in 1:48.80 with Somalia’s Hassal Ali Idow coming third in 1:49.03.

Others who made the cut in this heat include Ethiopia’s Bacha Morka Mulata and Tom Dradriga from Uganda who finished in fourth and fifth place in 1:49.34 and 1:50.30 respectively.

Nicholas Kiplagat is another Kenyan who made it to the semi-final when he finished in second in 1:50.20 with Ethiopia’s Slimane Moula winning the heat in 1:50.50.
Heat five also send two athletes to the next round as Tunisia’s Ayovmi Abdessalem won the race in 1:50.83 with Ramzi Abdennouz following him closely in 1:50.86.