By SUNDAY NATION Correspondent

The 1999/2000 Kenya Amateur Athletic Association season opens on November 6 with the first cross country competition in Nairobi.

David Okeyo, the KAAA secretary said that the rest of the calendar will be released soon after it is ratified by the association's general assembly which meets in Nairobi on November 5. KAAA affiliates have been asked to nominate three delegates each for the meeting before November 3 when the names should have been forwarded to the KAAA secretariat.

The new season will be a busy one with the preparations for the Sydney Olympics also in progress.

In the meantime, the qualifying times for the Olympics have been released. Entry standards for women's pole vault, hammer and javelin throws will be decided at the end of the 199 season. There are no set qualifying standards for both relays.

Qualifying standards: Men

100m, 10.27 sec; 200m, 20.70; 400m, 45.80; 800m, 1:46.30; 1,500m, 3:36.80; 5000m, 13:29.00; 10,000m 28:10.00; Marathon two hours 14.00; 3,000 steeplechase, 8:27.00; 110m hurdles, 13.70; 400m hurdles, 49.90, 20km, walk one hour 23.00; 50km walk, four hours; Decathlon 8,050 points; high jump 2,28metres; long jump, 8.05m; triple jump,16.85m; shot put, 19.70m; Discus, 63.50.

Women: 100m, 11.40; 200m, 23.20; 400m, 52.20; 800m, ,2:00.50; 1,500m 4:08.00; 5,000m, 1,5:35.00;10,000m, 32:30.00; Marathon, two hours 33.00; 100m hurdles, 13.10; 400m hurdles, 56.14; 20km walk, one hour 36.00; Heptathlon, 6,000 points; High Jump, 1.93m; Long Jump, 6.65m; Triple Jump, 14.15m; Shot Put, 18.30m; Discus, 61m.

Elsewhere the KAAA symposium on new focus in athletics will take place at the Lake Nakuru Lodge from October 22 to 24.

Ibrahim Hussein, the secretary to the symposium said registration takes place from 2 pm at the hotel.

The Minister in charge of sports in the office of the vice president Noway Ketone Nail will open the symposium on October 21 from 6.30 pm. Those invited from Nairobi should be at the Noway National Stadium on Thursday at 10 am where transport to Nakuru has been organised.

Besides local journalists, the following have been invited: Calf Kimono, An Muchoki, Joseph Gikonyo, Wilberforce Chebet, Ruth Waithera, Mary Chege, Robert Ouko, Abednego Matilu, Patrick Sang, Moses kiptanui, Moses Tanui, Mike Kosgei, Tom Nyariki, Leah Malot, Rose Tata, Tecla Loroupe, Yobes Ondieki, Daniel Komen, Joseph Chesire, Brother O'Connel and Joseph Chesire.

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