Athletes to get Sh5 million award for breaking world record

Faith Kipyegon celebrates after winning the women's 5000m gold medal at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023 in Budapest, Hungary, on September 25, 2023. [Xinhua] The government has introduced a new cash award scheme of Sh5 million for breaking a world record, whose first beneficiaries are Faith Kipyegon and Kelvin Kiptum. Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba told Senate plenary on Wednesday that the government has significantly raised rewards for medal winners to Sh3 million, Sh2 million and Sh1 million for gold, silver and bronze, respectively. The Cabinet Secretary told senators that they have also introduced the Hongera Awards which among other firsts, rewarded legends going back to the 1960s and also settled on Sh25 million in cash rewards arrears going back 11 years. Namwamba noted that in the last five years, the Sports, Arts and Social Development Fund has realized Sh48.2 billion in revenue from betting activities with the Fund having disbursed Sh41.7 billion over the same period to various sectors. He said 65 per cent of the disbursements were made to the sports sector, 30 per cent to the social development sector and 5 per cent to arts and culture. "In the last Financial Year, 2022/2023 the Fund realized revenues of Sh10.4 billion, the Oversight Board approved the disbursement of Sh7.9 billion to various sectors: Sh6.3 billion to sports sector Sh1.2 billion to the social development sector and Sh324 million to culture and the arts sector," said Namwamba. He said that Team Kenya selection for the World Athletics Championship was conducted through public trials held at Nyayo National Stadium on July 7 and 8, with athletes invited based on their compliance with anti-doping testing requirements meeting the Budapest 2023 World Athletics Championships entry standards and being top performers in the National Championships 2023. Chicago marathon World record holder Kelvin Kiptum is received in his hometown of Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County, on October 11, 2023. [Christopher Kipsang, Standard] Namwamba who was responding to a question asked by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei said that all invited athletes, including wild card holders, were required to participate in order to be considered for selection with all required to sign a commitment form to demonstrate dedication to the national team. The CS told the Senate that athletes invited for trials were mandated to bring their travel documents, specifically passports, after the trials, all selected athletes were accommodated to fulfil documentation and administrative requirements. "Once selected, athletes were expected to adhere to the rules and regulations outlined for the national team camp, athletes participating in the trials were personally responsible for collecting their own bib numbers at Nyayo Stadium on Thursday, July 6, 2023, between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm," he said. He told the House that the first two athletes to cross the finish line were automatically selected, provided they had met the World Athletics Entry Standards, while athletes who wished to compete in multiple events were permitted to do so, but the decision to allow them to double at the world championships was at the discretion of the selection panel. Namwamba said that, if necessary the selection panel had the authority to decide on the selection of the third athlete in the events mentioned with Wild card athletes, who have the privilege of entering a sports competition without having to go through qualifiers or meet specific ranking required to compete in the trials. enyarangi@standardmedia.co.ke

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