[File, Standard]Mariam Lufti Njoki, formerly Christine Njoki is over the moon even as she awaits approval by World Athletics to represent her new country – Qatar. The fast-rising star says she has switched allegiance as she looks to achieve her dream of competing at the premier athletics competitions – World Championships and the Olympics. On Sunday, Njoki competed at the 35th edition of Discovery Kenya Cross Country in Eldoret and successfully defended her title. “Representing Qatar is a big motivation for me because it is tough to make it to the top and to get selected to represent Kenya,” Njoki says. In Njoki’s case, Athletics Kenya had released Njoki to her new federation – Qatar Athletics Federation but World Athletics Nationality Review has to confirm whether the deal was genuine before approving it.

Source: Daily Nation January 27, 2026 04:30 UTC