Kiplagat urges athletes to register with national federation

By Jonathan Komen and Joseph Ngure

The three-day Athletics Kenya seminar for athletes in Eldoret ends today (Thursday) after sportsmen and women were taken through a wide range of topics.

On Wednesday, the more than 300 runners (including both current and retired) and officials were conducted through investment.

Patrick Sang, the 1992 Olympic 3,000m steeplechase silver medalist, said athletes should be guided on the kind of investments to take up.

“Nowadays they (athletes) earn a lot of money and this training has come at the right time. Athletes should know that their careers are short and there is need to plan well for the future,” said Sang.

Two-time world marathon champion Abel Kirui said the seminar had opened him to up new investment opportunities and how to manage them.

“We have invested a lot in this town (Eldoret) and my colleagues and I should know that this is a way to shape the future,” said Kirui.

Earlier on, the athletes were taken through structures of International Association of Athletics Federation (Iaaf) and Athletics Kenya by AK President Isaiah Kiplagat.

Kenya blessed

Kiplagat outlined the functions of the global body that include making rules governing competitions and regulating agents.

He stressed the need for athletes to register with the national federation and form clubs so that they would be protected against any external aggression.

Saying the country is blessed with the highest number of runners in the world, Kiplagat asked retired athletes to take up management of local runners.

“It is not economically healthy for all the agents to be from abroad. If our agents take care of our athletes, the benefit would be for the Kenyans,” said the president.

Legal matters

After the morning session, the athletes broke into 10 groups for sessions on several topics that included Legal Matters, Taxation, Kenya Revenue Authority, Investment And Training Programmes And competitions by experts from those areas.

 The areas that formed the gist of discussions were Education and Learning, Insurance matters, Discipline and respect in athletics, Media Advertising and broadcasting And Regional Anti-doping Organisation among others.

The athletes, who were drawn from all the affiliates in the country, generated heated debate especially on taxation, doping and Kenya Revenue Authority.

 The seminar, which was officially opened by Sports Minister Ababu Namwamba on Monday, saw top runners led by 800m World Record holder David Rudisha, World marathon champion Edna Kiplagat and Mary Keitany among others take part at Eldoret’s Sirikwa Hotel.