National hammer throw champion Dominic Abunda/ HANDOUTKenya’s national hammer throw record holder, Dominic Abunda, has laid out ambitions of turning years of domestic dominance into an international breakthrough at the upcoming Commonwealth Games.
This comes after the field athlete narrowly missed the podium at the just-concluded African Senior Championships in Accra, Ghana. In Ghana, Abunda finished fourth after registering a throw of 62.69m.
Egypt’s Mostafa El Gamel won gold with a 72.58m, with his compatriot Ahmed Tarek Ismail (68.27m) and South African Tshepang Makhethe (67.27m) in second and third place.
“Getting to the podium at the Commonwealth Games is the target because I have been close and I believe I can improve,” Abunda said. Abunda is arguably one of Kenya's top hammer throwers, having claimed the national title a record eight times in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
Further, his mark of 62.57m, achieved during the 2018 African Championships where he finished seventh, stands as the national record. After the Ghana outing, Abunda is now switching gears to the National trials, which will also double up as the Commonwealth Games trials. “The next focus is the national trials because that is what will determine what comes next,” Abunda added.
Abunda believes consistency and competitive exposure could finally unlock the results he has long chased on the continental stage. The hammer thrower said the biggest challenge in his preparations has been the lack of regular high-level competitions.
He explained that opportunities to properly gauge his progress against elite opponents remain limited. “The challenge is competitions because you need many meets to know where you are and how much you are improving,” Abunda said.
His few outings in recent months have largely revolved around the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi and the African championships, leaving little room for comparison against strong international fields. He insisted that the immediate assignment is to sharpen competitive form and position himself strongly for the upcoming national trials.
