President William Ruto’s aide Farouk Kibet has hailed his increased focus on developing the sports sector and helping to tap talents among young people in the country.
Farouk says
sport is a major sector in the country through which the lives of many youth
can be transformed for good.
“We have
seen President Ruto being keen on developing sports facilities like stadiums
and supporting our sportsmen and women in various ways, and that is one sure
way to uplift their lives,” said Farouk.
He said the
ongoing construction of the Talanta Stadium will make Kenya a key attraction to
host major international events through which youth will benefit in many ways.
Farouk said
the development of sports and education would give many young people
opportunities to exploit their academic and sporting talents.
He is
calling for increased investment in education, especially support for needy
children in society.
He says
education is the best way to empower less privileged children and ensure that
they grow to be productive adults in society.
Farouk says
there must also be a deliberate focus on identifying needy and bright children
so that they are supported to complete their education.
He was
speaking at Chepsaita in Uasin Gishu, where he presided over the launch of
preparations for the 3rd Edition of the Great Chepsaita Cross Country Run.
The race
will be held on December 6th this year.
Farouk is
the patron of the race which takes place at the scenic Chepsaita Hills in Uasin
Gishu, with over Sh20 million to be won.
Farouk
presided over the launch of preparations for the international race, saying his
dream was to educate as many children as possible using proceeds from the
event.
He said this
year over Sh20 million would be given in terms of scholarships.
“The theme
for the race remains running for education, and that is our main focus because
we want to use this event for the good of our children,” said Farouk.
He said
other projects would also benefit from the race, and Sh20 million would also be
used to support local healthcare institutions.
“We started
from far and we are heading far. My wish is to see many children access
education as the foundation for better lives,” said Farouk.
He said many
talents will be discovered and developed through the Chepsaita event.
He
encouraged young people in the region to ensure they use well the benefits from
the race to transform their lives.
Farouk said
there were many champions in the area as long as they focus on developing their
talents through the Chepsaita race.
“We have
come from far in those years where we could only go to watch TV at the home of
an old man because there was no other. Now we want to use this event to help
ourselves in many ways,” said Farouk.
Earlier,
Vice President of NOCK Barnabas Korir announced that the event will be held on
December 6th 2025, with over 10,000 runners expected to participate.
Korir is
also the chairman of the event, while former athlete Ibrahim Kipkemboi is
chairman of the technical committee of the event, which is categorised at Gold
Level by the IAAF.
Athletes
from over 25 other countries are expected to participate in the race, whose theme
is running for education.
“From
previous runs, we have achieved a lot in terms of supporting education through
scholarships for needy children,” said Farouk.
Over 6,000
learners have already benefited from the scholarships amounting to over Sh16
million. Twenty schools have also received support.
Korir said
there would be 12 categories of races from elite to junior events.
Winners of
the elite event will each get Sh750,000 prize money while second position will
be awarded Sh500,000 and third will get Sh350,000 for both men’s and women’s
categories.
“In terms of
prize money it is the highest-paying cross country race in the world and also the
best organised,” said Korir.
Korir said
the event will greatly benefit the community in the region through the
education scholarships and other support programmes.
“This event
is away from the town, but in a few years we will have this region transformed
to be an international centre for many activities,” said Korir.
Farouk said
more young people would be encouraged to participate and urged athletes to
train in preparation for the event.
He said
training hard would enable the runners to win easily.
“We will up
it and make sure that we have runners who emerge from here to participate in
international races,” said Farouk.
A medical
camp will be held on December 3rd ahead of the event.
Farouk urged
elites or those who do well in life not to neglect their home areas.
He said he
would like to be remembered for the good things he does to support the
community.
“I know one
time I will be a former somebody, but I will wish to be a former with a good
name that time,” said Farouk.
He said
counties and other stakeholders should also support sports tourism in the
region to tap earnings from foreigners visiting the region.
Farouk
announced that a major marathon will be held in Eldoret in February next year
to also support talents.
He urged
those encouraging doping among athletes to stop. “We want our athletes to run
clean and win clean,” he said.
Others
present during the event included the Sports Executive for Uasin Gishu, Robert Kemei
and his Education counterpart, Lucy Ngendo.
