In our shrinking world, the juiciest first places seem to have already been hoarded by Western hegemons. Thus, the shrill voices of the rest of us can only be heard if we holler by cleverly leveraging our most exceptional abilities which, despite desperate cravings, the avaricious global-village 'bullies' can never counterfeit.

It is therefore critically important for any country to know that niche where it easily obliterates the rest of the pack. To take all the laurels while the competitors - some of them nuclear tipped for good measure - scramble for left-overs may be the only bright moment citizens of some little-known countries will ever enjoy in a long time. Nothing short of schadenfreude and celebration - especially if the opponent is Goliath and you are the puny David - is expected of the underdog.

That is why it is heartbreaking how the Kenyan state has often showed dismal concern for what is obviously its single most important cultural export, namely, the significant dominance by its middle and long-distance runners in world athletics.