NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 13 – Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba admits Kenya needs to start treating its sports legends as national treasures, heroes and heroines.
Namwamba bemoaned the fact that the country has on so many occasions failed to reward its famous sons and daughters who have brought so much glory on the international scene.
“Our sportsmen and women have given us so much as a nation and have caused our anthem to be sung in the deepest corners of the world. Therefore, we must return this favour by treating them better and recognising them as our national treasures, heroes and heroine,” Namwamba said.
The CS further acknowledged that Kenyan athletes as well as other sportspersons have for a long time been the country’s brand ambassadors and as such, deserve the Kenya’s love, respect and affection even in their sunset years.
“We must as a government consolidate our efforts to recognise and better appreciate our athletes. As a ministry, we are working on a welfare program that would ensure that retiring athletes are taken good care of, upon exiting active competition,” he said.
We have aid to rest Wilson Kiprugut Chumo, 84, in Kipchebor, Kericho County. Wilson is undoubtedly Kenya’s Athletics John the Baptist, having phenomenally blazed the trail by winning Kenya’s first ever medal, at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics right in the heat of our independence pride. pic.twitter.com/xSkANKSpnW
— Amb Hon Ababu-Namwamba, EGH🇰🇪 (@AbabuNamwamba) November 12, 2022
Namwamba was speaking at Kipchebor village in Ainamoi Constituency on Saturday during the burial of athletics legend Wilson Kiprugut, who became the country’s first ever Olympic medalist when he finished third in the men’s 800m at the 1964 Tokyo Games.
Kiprugut, 84, who passed away last week, also won silver in the men’s 800m at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City and kickstarted what would be Kenya’s longstanding reputation as a powerhouse in the middle and long-distances races.
The CS described Kiprugut as the ‘John the Baptist’ of Kenyan athletics, noting his role in preparing the way for the countless number of great athletes who would come after him in the many years to come.
“We are laying to rest Kenya’s John the Baptist of athletics. Kiprugut opened the way for many of our athletes, he cleared the path, set the standard and motivated generations to pursue athletics as a profession,” Namwamba said.
Also in attendance at the funeral were athletics legend Kipchoge Keino, National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) officials, Athletics Kenya officials led by vice president Paul Mutwii and Barnaba Korir, chair of the youth development sub-committee as well as other past and present athletes.
