SOYA Awards Founder and Patron Paul Tergat.PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya
NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 30 – Cross Country legend Paul Tergat has announced that he will vie for the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) presidency in the upcoming elections scheduled for May 5.
Tergat, a five-time World Cross Country champion said on Thursday that its high time he led from the front after watching from the stands as far as management of sports is concerned in the country.
The former world marathon record holder will battle it out with incumbent legendary Kipchoge Keino who has been occupying the seat for over a decade.
Tergat states that his main aim is to create a strong sense of togetherness in a bid to have a strong cohesion as Olympic family in the world and will use his network around the worl to take Kenyan sport to the next level.
“After serving the nation as an athlete for more than two decades, today marks another new chapter as I join another race in my career. For a long time, I have watched from the periphery in as far as the management of sports is concerned. At times, I have played peripheral role just to ensure that the interests of athletes are taken care of,” Tergat declared.
“However, time has come for me to lead from the front and it’s an idea I have thought of very carefully and consulted widely, too. I am sure you are aware of the push and pull we have had at the National Olympic Committee Kenya over the adoption of a new constitution in the last few months.
However, the course is now clear with the passing of the new document and we can only look to the future with confidence. It is against this background that I declare my candidature for the position of Nock president ahead of the elections scheduled for May 5,” the Sports Personality of the Year Awards (SOYA) founder revealed.
He added that, “I believe by offering the best to our sportsmen and women, we can finally create a feeling of inclusiveness. I am ready to serve the sporting fraternity and I am sure with my connections around the world, coupled with your support, we will take Kenyan sports to the next level.”
