Bolt: Did he deserve the welcome he got?

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By Bismarck Mutahi

Olympic champion Samuel Wanjiru was not a happy man when he landed from the US having won the Chicago Marathon.

The youngster did not only win the race, but he did so in style breaking a ten-year-old record held by Moroccon-born American Khalid Khannouchi stopping the clock in 2 hours 5 minutes 41 seconds.

Breaking a 10-year-old record was no mean feat for the youngster who also ensured Kenyans won the marathon Olympic gold after several years.

Wanjiru was not impressed with the way Kenyan athletes have been treated by the authorities and suggested that could be the reason some of them have preferred to compete for the oil-rich Gulf States.

Wanjiru’s comments came hot on the heels of the reception that we gave to Olympic and world champion Usain Bolt of Jamaica.

The Jamaican 100m and 200m world record holder who came to Kenya on a charity mission, was given a reception that befits a king.

I don’t dispute he deserved the fete, but why have we not done the same to our all-conquering athletes who brought joy to our living rooms during the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships.

On arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, there was a GK vehicle and a Mercedes Benz for that matter, which the Finance Minister has outlawed, to drive the Jamaican to a press conference at a city hotel.

But before the press conference journalists were falling over themselves to take pictures with the star, as they didn’t want to miss the ‘historic’ moment.

Sports officials were also not to be left behind, but when the likes of Wanjiru, Robert ‘Mwafrika’ Cheruiyot, Martin Lel, Vivian Cheruiyot just to name a few, are jetting in only the family members are on hand to receive their heroes.

It is time we learned to appreciate our own and also give them the recognition they deserve for what they do for this country.

It is true Bolt is a role model to many youngsters but is Wanjiru, Wilfred Bungei, Janeth Jepkosgei or McDonald Mariga not role models too?

Remember Bolt did not only meet the President and Prime Minister, but the Kenya Wildlife Service was willing to give him a cheetah to adopt.

He is the fastest man on earth and it is in order to give him the fastest animal to adopt, but have we thought of asking Pamela Jelimo to adopt a leopard or something else slower than a cheetah?

As if that is not enough we did not even care to have a number of local athletes lining up to meet the Jamaican star.

If there were people who deserved to meet Bolt more than anyone else then it had to be athletes who have been rubbing shoulders with him o international circuits.

Kudos to whoever brought the Jamaican superstar but can we learn to treat our heroes just like we did with Bolt?