GUANGZHOU - An athlete from Bahrain won the men's 5000m at the Asian Games with runners from Qatar taking silver and bronze. Or, looked at another way, it was a Kenyan one-two-three.
Ali Hasan Mahboob came home ahead of James Kwalia and Felix Kibore to take gold. Elsewhere, Ethiopian-born Shitaya Habtegebrel, running for Bahrain, was third in the women's 10000m, wrapping herself in the flag to receive her medal.
One arresting statistic from the 2006 Asiad (as the Games are known) in Doha was that Kenyan-born runners won the men's 800m, 1500m, 5000m, 10000m, 3000m steeplechase and marathon events.
Apart from a bronze in the marathon and two minor medals in the 800m, all the male podium finishers were African.
Even in the sprint events the Africans are making their mark, with two Nigerian-born runners racing for Qatar - Samuel Francis in the 100m and Femi Ogunode in the 400m.
Francis spends about three months a year in Qatar, training in other countries such as the US and Poland. When asked how it feels to appear for Qatar, he said: "I'm still who I am. It feels very natural." He said he was well looked after by the sporting authorities in Qatar and does not spend much time in Nigeria.
"I just go to visit my parents."
Ogunode said he spends about five or six months a year in Qatar.
But it is in the longer-distance events that the hired help from Africa really make their mark. Kenya-based Kibore, who switched to Qatar in 2007, trains at high altitude in his homeland and explains that Qatar is also very hot.
He said he liked to run for Qatar and hoped the country would be successful in Guangzhou.
Silver medallist Kwalia, who won the 5000m at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, said the three Kenyans knew what to expect from one another tactically.
Kwalia, who switched to Qatar in 2004, said he spends "not more than one month a year" in Qatar, instead basing himself in Kenya and Europe.
Africans rule Asian Games
GUANGZHOU - An athlete from Bahrain won the men's 5000m at the Asian Games with runners from Qatar taking silver and bronze. Or, looked at another way, it was a Kenyan one-two-three.
Ali Hasan Mahboob came home ahead of James Kwalia and Felix Kibore to take gold. Elsewhere, Ethiopian-born Shitaya Habtegebrel, running for Bahrain, was third in the women's 10000m, wrapping herself in the flag to receive her medal.
One arresting statistic from the 2006 Asiad (as the Games are known) in Doha was that Kenyan-born runners won the men's 800m, 1500m, 5000m, 10000m, 3000m steeplechase and marathon events.
Apart from a bronze in the marathon and two minor medals in the 800m, all the male podium finishers were African.
Even in the sprint events the Africans are making their mark, with two Nigerian-born runners racing for Qatar - Samuel Francis in the 100m and Femi Ogunode in the 400m.
Francis spends about three months a year in Qatar, training in other countries such as the US and Poland. When asked how it feels to appear for Qatar, he said: "I'm still who I am. It feels very natural." He said he was well looked after by the sporting authorities in Qatar and does not spend much time in Nigeria.
"I just go to visit my parents."
Ogunode said he spends about five or six months a year in Qatar.
But it is in the longer-distance events that the hired help from Africa really make their mark. Kenya-based Kibore, who switched to Qatar in 2007, trains at high altitude in his homeland and explains that Qatar is also very hot.
He said he liked to run for Qatar and hoped the country would be successful in Guangzhou.
Silver medallist Kwalia, who won the 5000m at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, said the three Kenyans knew what to expect from one another tactically.
Kwalia, who switched to Qatar in 2004, said he spends "not more than one month a year" in Qatar, instead basing himself in Kenya and Europe.
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