Athletes as Brand Kenya ambassadors

One of Kenya's greatest Olympic athletes is legendary Kipchoge Keino. His courage and determination in winning a gold and silver medal in the 1968 Olympics, despite suffering from a gall-bladder infection, endeared him to sports lovers the world over. This was after jogging a mile to the stadium because the bus from the Olympics village was stuck in traffic.

At the 1972 Olympics in Munich, West Germany, he won his second Olympic gold medal in the 3,000 metres steeplechase and also won a silver medal in the 1,500 metres. He has since retired but he undoubtedly opened doors for many Kenyan athletes and this year they are shining all over the world and dominating global sports news.

At the Boston marathon in the USA, Caroline Rotich led the women's field, affirming Kenya's athletes' dominance in the race. Meanwhile in Europe, Lucas Rotich won the Hamburg marathon. Additionally, Kenya successfully defended the Africa Youth Championships 3,000m title when Emily Chebet broke the previous championship record and went on to win the gold medal in Bambous, Mauritius.

The most spectacular and memorable race is the men's London Marathon where the first four positions were won by Kenyans; Eliud Kipchoge, Wilson Kipsang, Dennis Kimetto and Stanley Biwott. Mary Keitany took the second-place finish in the Women's race. David Rudisha and Ezekiel Kemboi are indomitable world champions.

These are some of our sports icons and in the eyes of many Kenyans, they are Kenya brand ambassadors, as revealed in a study carried out by Brand Kenya Board. As nation brand ambassadors, they are looked upon as role models and as an inspiration by the citizens.

They are admired because of their talent and performance. Winning in sports is not just for personal glory but for the nation too. By associating Brand Kenya to the athletes, it is implied that their positive public image is reflected on the nation brand. In essence, these athletes have shaped the Kenya Brand. Kenyan prowess in athletics is playing a huge role in country branding, because our athletes are world-class and champions who keep on winning. Brand Kenya's image as a power house in athletics is continuously enhanced on the international front. Our country's brand ambassadors have stamped their footprints on the world map of sports.

The backbone of a successful brand ambassador is the strong values that guide his or her growth and this is clearly exemplified by our athletes. Kipchoge's drive and single-minded determination to succeed against the odds made him one of the world's most admired sporting heroes. Other values that our athletes have shown include focus, commitment and passion.

They also demonstrate resilience as they undergo gruelling and strenuous training. Even after winning, they continue to improve on their strengths and skills to remain competitive to retain their titles and rankings. Their humility is also admirable. Each time they are asked about making history or having achieved yet another record, they say they are happy, but are quick to turn the focus to the other Kenyans in the race.

After coming second in this year's London marathon, Wilson Kipsang had very kind words to say: "This is one of the best races and a really strong field.I'm happy for my friend to have won and for me as defending champion to run a good time and get second place." We must commend our athletes for upholding values that exemplify the Kenyan brand personality.

When our athletes keep on winning, they create strong interest in the sport, which will inspire the young to want to emulate them. This will help to further build Kenyan sports.

We must also recognise their achievements and celebrate them for flying our flag high globally; the legends who have retired, the reigning champions and the youthful ones who have begun the champions' journey.