Billed as the 'Night of Champions' and an occasion to celebrate achievements of our athletes, Saturday's Tusker Athletics International floodlit meet failed to attract a sizeable number of sport lovers.

Just like the failed 2005 Tusker Cup that brought together three top continental sides, Asante Kotoko (Ghana), SuperSport United (South Africa) and Simba FC (Tanzania) to compete against local team Tusker FC, organisers fell short of drawing large crowds to Nyayo National Stadium for the first major athletics event ran under floodlights on Kenyan soil.

The stadium was filled by less than a quarter of its 30,000 capacity, in spite of big names in local showbiz among them Ohangla crooner, Tony Nyadundo and Genge rapper Jua Cali performing to supplement the stellar field of world renowned athletes competing.

True, 800m-world champion, Janeth Jepkosgei set the stadium alight in running the fastest time on Kenyan soil (1:59.00) to win her race as did South Africa's Athens 2004 Olympics men's silver medallist in the same distance, Mbulaeni Mulaudzi while trouncing a strong Kenyan field but the response was below what organisers who spent millions for the event hoped for.What undid them, like in 2005, was the failure to appeal to masses.

A chunk of the money used to stage what is an excellent idea should have gone towards marketing the event to majority by for example, taking participating athletes to do charity work or ferrying fans from city suburbs to the venue for free. Entry charges should also have been abolished.

In future, Tusker Athletics International organisers should borrow a leaf from Standard Chartered Nairobi International Marathon that has over the years gained mass appeal for its ability to connect with ordinary folk.