Experts say athletes will need help from government

Sports, Culture and Heritage CS Amina Mohamed. [Boniface Okendo,Standard]

The government has been asked to support athletes train and remain in form even after the Covid-19 pandemic has been halted.

Runners who have, for years been training in high altitude camps are currently training alone, away from coaches after the trainings were shut down to curb spread of the disease.

But athletics analysts now observe that it will be expensive for runners to train alone.

They said it is the duty of the state to finance athletics training if it expects Kenyan athletes to continue shining in international competitions.

Use of cars to set pace during training on roads and physiotherapy services among other services are costly, says Iten-based coach Joseph Cheromei.

Former two-time Boston Marathon champion and Eldoret City marathon director Moses Tanui yesterday said athletes have no money to train.

“Many athletes have no money because they have been training in sponsored training camps and now they are alone. If the government can step in and finance the athletes in training, that would be good for us. Kenya is a superpower in athletics and this is what puts Kenya on the world map,” Tanui said.

The former Vienna marathon winner urged athletes to device creative ways of training in isolation without incurring huge costs.

He warned that athletes may not return to camp in good physical forms and mental preparedness to compete in races if they do not receive support from both the national and county governments.

“It is a very hard time for the world. I am urging athletes to train alone,” he said.