The unsung heroes and heroines of our time

Omulo Okoth

My thoughts today go out to our unsung heroes and heroines. These are the coaches who toil daily to ensure our athletes are in shape.

They neither get credit nor board planes to accompany their runners abroad. They hardly know life on the fast lane. They are down there in the villages of Kericho, Kisii, Kapsabet, Eldoret, Iten, Baringo, Nyahururu and Kapsoit.

They identify talent, groom it, expose it then hand it over to national coaches on a silver platter after the National Championships.

When they win medals at World Championships, Olympic or Commonwealth Games, only national coaches get credit. Hardly are the men in the villages ever mentioned, leave alone get recognised for their work.

You are my real heroes and heroines. If you worry about your recognition, be assured you are in good company.

Accomplished Athlete

Hats off to William Tomno in Baringo, Ezekiel Kipkitony in Keiyo, Joseph Cheromei in Koibatek, Joseph Chemuren in Nandi, Jonah Birir, who was an accomplished 10,000m athlete in his heydays, in Eldama Ravine, Boniface Tiren and Samson Kimombwa in Elgon and John Kamau ‘Mfae’ of Nyahururu.

I won’t forget Mike Kosgei, Amos Korir and Said Aziz in Kapsabet, Bro Colm O’Connell in Iten, Moses Kiptanui in Marakwet, Joseph Chelimo and Patrick Sang in Kaptagat, Peter Angwenyi in Kisii, among others.

Elizabeth Olaba ensured the Prisons ‘Golden Girls’ remained in top form a few years ago.

Coaches in the villages or disciplined forces ensure our athletes win medals under whoever is selected to accompany them abroad.

Kenya Police

Prisons have Olaba and Stephen Mwaniki. Police have Nicholas Kipruto Kilisio and his team, Armed Forces have Julius Kirwa, Elkana Nyangau and team.

Quite a few have been recognised by authorities like Sang, Chelimo, Peter Mathu, David Leting, John Mwithiga, Robert Ngesirei and Japheth Kemei.

Athletics Kenya should do more and even bring them to national camps to complement the work by national coaches and, funds allowing, include them in traveling parties.

Allow me to deviate a bit. The disappointing news this week was the sacking of Avtar Singh Sohal as Kenya Hockey Union publicity secretary.

That is another coach who was responsible for the excellence of our hockey team at the global stage where they were of equal strength with superpowers like India, Netherlands, Pakistan and Canada.

Why he was given such a task was as baffling as it defeated logic. Avtar is just a coach, who is passionate about his sport and job. Period.

But we are in Kenya, where one can be kicked in the teeth in return for services rendered.

Lastly, I am off to South Africa today (Sunday), among South African Tourism guests for the ICC Champions Trophy, which parades the best there is in One-Day cricket.

Kenya successfully hosted the event in 2000 as the stars we only read about in the press and watched in the box played right here.

Brett Lee, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Andrew Flintoff, the Flower brothers, Shivnarin Chanderpaul, Sanath Jayasuriya, Hansie Cronje, Shaun Pollock came face to face with our own Steve Tikolo and Maurice Odumbe at Gymkhana. The icing on the cake was a lavish star-studded Gala night at Safari Park, which was beamed to a global audience.

I am keenly waiting for the day our cricket shall revert there to attract global attention to the extent of bringing a tournament like the one going on down South right on our doorsteps.

—The writer is The Standard Sports Editor

iomulo@standardmedia.co.ke

 

 

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