I’ll make you swallow your words, Olympic champ tells Shaheen
By Chris Mbaisi
Posted Thursday, 13 April, 2006
The verbal sparring over the 3,000m steeplechase record continued yesterday as Olympic champion, Ezekiel Kemboi, vowed to make Qatari Saif Saeed Shaheen swallow his words.
He said even the Kenyan boxing ‘queen’, Conjestina Achieng, thought she was unbeatable until American boxer Yvonne Reiss outpointed her.
Kemboi said he would deliver the record in July.
"I will personally deliver this record and after accomplishing my mission, I will have a session with him," he said.
Kemboi had said last week he would break the world record, to which Shaheen replied the Kenyan had no chance, given his performances lately.
He dismissed Kemboi’s bid as "just but hot air and wishful thinking," adding he did not have what it takes to break the record.
Shaheen said Kemboi’s current personal best testifies to what he is capable of doing.
The current record, set by Shaheen in Brussels in 2004, is 7:53:63. Kemboi’s personal best is 8:02:49.
Kemboi said Shaheen did not hold the right to the record and anybody can take it.
He said even multi-record holders like (Ethiopian) Haile Gebrselassie had their records broken.
In any case, Kemboi claimed they have just been ‘lenient’ to allow Shaheen enjoy his tenure as a record holder, otherwise they would have broken it long time ago.
He boasted that he is the leader of the 3,000m SC battalion in Kenya and nothing was impossible as far as he are concerned.
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