World Marathon record holder Eliud Kichoge and the Ministry of Sports have joined hands to cushion athletes in distress following the government-imposed measures in the fight against coronavirus.
For a start, Sports Cabinet Secretary, Amina Mohamed yesterday flagged off a consignment of relief food meant for at least 58 needy athletes from around Eldoret in Uasin Gishu County.
The recipients were identified in an exercise conducted by the two protagonists.
At a flag-off ceremony at the Nyayo Stadium, Amina said the rations are meant for youthful athletes who were preparing to represent the country at the World U20 Championships, initially set for Nairobi in July, but currently postponed with the organisers still working on an appropriate date.
Amina, who was with Principal Secretary Paul Okudo, said the athletes will further receive financial support, possibly today, to help them navigate through the month. She said the identified athletes will continue to receive such assistance until the dust settles and normalcy returns.
"Through our partnership with Kipchoge, we managed to identify 58 athletes who are in dire need of support. Kipchoge helped us identify the needy ones, mostly those who were preparing to compete in the U20 Championships alongside others who targeted to make a living by competing in the already postponed events," said Amina.
"We have managed to send them food packages enough to sustain them through the month and we are hoping to top it up with some allowances this Friday (today)."
In the meantime, Amina disclosed that there are plans to stretch their support beyond the runners. She revealed that the Ministry has finalised the vetting process, where 1,500 sportsmen and women were identified.
She said the Ministry is planning to wire a minimum monthly allowance of Sh10,000 to each athlete and appealed to well-wishers to support their plan to cushion sportsmen.
The Ministry received Sh15 million from betting company Betika last week and Amina added that they expect to receive an additional Sh4million from another corporate.
"We have already finished the process of identifying the needy ones from the other disciplines where 1,500 were picked. They have been our best ambassadors out there and it is our turn to stand with them," Amina added.
