Olympic gold medalist accorded heroic reception amid leader’s disquiet over abandoning of champions.
Olympic Gold medalist Peris Jepchirchir was welcomed with heroic reception after landing from Tokyo on Friday.
Hundreds of Nandi and Uasin Gishu County residents who among them friends, athletic fanatics and family members thronged Eldoret International Airport waiting for the marathoners, and upon the flight touched down, cultural songs rented the air evoking the names of Jepchirchir and Amos Kipruto, who happened to arrived together.
The fans danced in tandem with the folk songs from Nyo inye (you are welcome) by Rose Cheboi, Oroni Boiboiyet (We are happy) by Moses Sirgoi among other songs sang in Kalenjin dialect as the champions quench mouthfuls of mursik, the traditional sour milk served in guard.
Thereafter, they boarded s convoy of over 20 vehicles snaked through Eldoret-Kisumu highway where they were forced to make several stopovers in athletes-rich region and address the cheering crowds in the markets centers including Mosoriot, Chepterit, Kapsabet town and Namgoi.
Among the athletes,National and county leaders including Tindiret MP Julius melly and Governor Stephen led the political leaders in the homecoming of Tokyo Olympic marathoners.
“We want to thank our athletes for representing us well in Tokyo, they have also represented our region as well and we are proud of them, the President Uhuru Kenyatta and cabinet minister of sports Amina Mohammed should go for a bench marking in Uganda and learn how heroes are welcomed,” said Julius Melly, MP Tindiret
Lauding the local runners for putting the Kenya on global map, they also accused the government for failing to recognize the champions for the spectacular performance in the international challenge.
“We appreciate the government for giving talented athletes chance to represent the country but we are urging the ministry of sports and the president to resolve issues ailing the sports sector that would see champions getting significant rewards,” Governor Sang said.
County assembly speaker Joshua Kiptoo applauded the athletes urging them to continue raising the country’s flag calling upon President Uhuru Kenyatta to support budding talents through policy structures and rid out graft tendencies in Athletic Kenya.
“We never take time to celebrate our hero’s, we want to see the government of Kenya treating our athletes in a manner they deserve. There is nothing that the athletes of Kenya can be proud of if its own nation when the leadership cannot stand for them,” , said Kiptoo
