State rolls out red-carpet welcome for world-record breaker Faith Kipyegon
The
government on Tuesday rolled out a red-carpet welcome for Kenya’s star girl
Faith Kipyegon who jetted into the country from Paris, France where she had
shattered an existing 5,000m women’s record and in the process set her own.
Kipyegon,
running a powerful race clocked 14:05.2 to not only win the race but also set a
new world record, beating the previous record holder Letesenbet Gidey of
Ethiopia who came second.
Her
5,000m feat came barely a week after she set another world record in Florence
Italy in the 1,500m women’s race timing 3:49.11 to her bewilderment.
And
on Tuesday, the Government’s top brass led by non-other than the Head of State
President William Ruto played host to the middle-distance runner at the lawns
of State House.
Upon
landing at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Sports Cabinet Secretary
Ababu Namwamba was at hand to receive her alongside Nairobi County Governor
Johnson Sakaja.
From
here the delegation made its way to the Number 1 address, State House Road,
where the President and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua were waiting as were a host
of high-ranking government officials, as well as Kipyegon’s family.
Kenyan
sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala, the reigning African champion as well as the
Commonwealth Games champion was also present.
It
is here that the government went all out to make all manner of promises to
Kenyan athletes while also rewarding Kipyegon with Sh5 million for breaking the 1,500m record
and a three-bed roomed house worth Sh6 million for setting a 5,000 record.
Speaking
at the event, President Ruto ordered the Sports ministry to review the existing
award scheme hailing the athletes for putting Kenya on the world map.
An
emotional Kipyegon, flanked by her daughter, was moved by the gesture and at
one point fought back tears of joy before announcing that “she will now keep
her pledge of buying his father a car”.
In
the past hue and cry has greeted the government's lethargic treatment of
athletes who endure a lot of sacrifices to bring honour and glory to the
country, with some opting to switch citizenship and race for the rich nations
in the Gulf.
In
the existing award scheme for Olympic medalists, gold medal winners get Sh1
million, Sh 750,000 for silver medalists and Sh500 000 for bronze medalists.
Ruto
also said that the State will issue the athletes with diplomatic passports to
make their travel easy.
“Our
sports men and women who excel should be give diplomatic passports and other
national honors because they do what many of us can’t do so that they can move
around the world with easy and ensure they keep making our country proud,”
stated the president
Omanyala
was for instance last year caught up in a visa-hitch, getting his American visa
late for the World Championships held in Oregon USA.
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