NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 9 – Double Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge has landed a major ambassadorial role with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), starting a two-year stint as their goodwill ambassador for sport, integrity and values.
Kipchoge was unveiled as UNESCO’s new ambassador at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in Gigiri on Wednesday morning.
Louise Haxthausen, the UNESCO East Africa Regional Director says they were attracted to work with Kipchoge due to his values in discipline, integrity as well as his championing for environmental conservation and education for children.
“We have a very similar state of mind and priorities (with Kipchoge) and that is what made it a perfect match for us to join hands,” Haxthausen told Capital Sport.
She added; “For him, being the exceptional athlete that he is and with a bigger outlook onlife and how sports can be a means to live a better life is what attracted us to him. We are also looking at how young people can be empowered through sports, education and caring about the planet. He has a very strong engagement on environmental conservation and that is an area close to what UNESCO is doing.”
With UNESCO particularly keen on environment and education, Kipchoge, whose foundation’s values hinge on the same, fit glove to hand in the new partnership.
Kipchoge says he is elated to sign the new partnership, especially putting in mind his own values and the targets of his foundation.
“UNESCO is particularly keen on environment and education and the values of my foundation are the same and they come hand in hand. We want to go round the country promoting education, build kindergartens and give children better classrooms. We want to spread this to the neighboring countries, the rest of Africa and even the whole world, to make small communities develop,” Kipchoge said.
During the launch at the UN headquarters, Kipchoge took time to interact with children from across various schools in Nairobi, who asked him curious questions much to the delight of the attendees.
“Do you want your kids to be an athlete like you?” one of the curious kids asked him at the event.
Kipchoge answered in his true fashion; “My sons love football. I want them to play a sport they want and I can’t force them to athletics. But, they must do a sport.”
