Narok offers SH300m for stadium: Olympic 800m champ Rudisha working on another sports complex in Trans Mara to help nurture young talents

By Ben Ahenda

Wooden seats at the main pavilion of Narok Stadium

Plans are afoot to renovate and transform Narok Stadium into international standards and be the best sporting infrastructure in Narok County.

Already, Narok County government has allocated Sh300 million for the works.

The county government aims at ensuring the facility measures to the required international standards before focusing on a facelift to other infrastructures within the region.

Narok County Minister for Education, Youth, Children, Sports, Culture and Social Services Ezekiel Rono said the stadium will standout as a landmark facility because it is their main sports centre. The money has been factored in the 2012/2013 financial year.

“The funds allocated to the project is enough for its full completion,” he said.

The project will take one and half years to complete. Work at the facility started last year with erection of a stone fence around the stadium. There is also a pavilion for dignitaries and then later they will construct the main administration block.

The stands are to be rebuilt all around the stadium with the football pitch properly marked out. There will also be new goal posts installed to replace the current rusty poles.

The facility enjoys proximity to the world famous Maasai Mara Game Reserve and the county government wants to expoit it by making it a first stop shop in promoting sports tourism.

“Thereafter, we look into possibilities of having another stadium in Trans Mara Sub County,” said Rono.

David Lekuta Rudisha, who is the 800 metres Olympic champion, is putting up a Sh300 million sports complex on an 11acre piece of land in his native Trans Mara town, which has brought excitement among young runners.

To date, most competitions in Narok County are held in school grounds and this explains why the county government needs to hurry up the completion of the Narok Stadium.

High prospects

“We’ll push for completion of the project at the stipulated time,” said Football Kenya Federation Narok Sub-branch chairman Joseph Ole Sadera.

A positive development is the participation of elite runners in sports infrastructural development in the county.

Besides Rudisha (David) and his father Daniel, also an Olympic silver medallists in 4x400m relays, other prominent runners from the county are former three time 800m World Champion Billy Konchella, the late Patrick Konchella, a former Commonwealth 800m champion.

The reigning world decathlon champion Charles Kokoyo also comes from the county.

Football Kenya Federation Narok County chairman Joseph Ole Sadera said the completion of the facility would put football to be at par with track and field.

“They would have a place to nurture their talents and horn their skills,” he said.

Athletics Kenya (AK) Central Rift branch treasurer Stephen Ole Marai said he is impressed with the investment Rudisha has put in Trans Mara. Rudisha is working in partnership with some well-wishers including business magnet Manu Chandaria. Ole Marai said the stadium, after completion, will be named Rudisha-Chandaria International Stadium.

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