Nairobi, March 7 (IANS): World cross-country champion Japheth Korir of Kenya has been recalled to the team despite failing to impress at the national trials.

Team manager John Kimetto confirmed on Friday that Korir has been given a chance to prove his fitness prior to the team departure on March 23 to Guiyang, China for the World Cross country Championships, reports Xinhua.

"We have called Korir to the team. He is training with us and we will evaluate his performance against the other athletes and see how he fairs on. We want to present a strong team in China and we need our best athletes," Kimetto said in Nairobi.

The coaches will now have a tough choice to select the best six as there are seven athletes in the senior men's 12km team. Alongside Korir, who will be defending his title, there is also former world cross country junior men's champion Geoffrey Kamwaror and Bedan Karoki.

"Competition is tough and that is what we want. It will inspire them to show their best skills and that is good for the team," said Kimetto.

Japan-based Bedan Karoki, who won the men's 12km senior title during the Kenyan trials last month, is keen to defend his turf in China.

He leads the 26-member team to Guiyang for the World Cross Country on March 28.

Karoki, who accomplished the rare feat of defending his domestic title from last year, is raring to be the sixth Kenyan winner of the biggest prize in cross country running and in the process, snap a long running curse.

"I'm looking forward to do something in China. I knew no one would follow me through in the last 1K and when they relented, I went for it. I had lost hope but after recovering, I did some training and came here determined to make the team," Karoki said.