Athletes have called for national and county governments to make sporting facilities accessible across the country.
Speaking in Eldoret during cheque National Olympics Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) handover ahead of the 2014 Olympic Games in France, the athletes said they pay heavily while preparing for such events yet they are representing their country.
Led by Commonwealth Games 100m champion Ferdinand Omurwa Omanyala, the athletes called for fairness in their training.
“The cost of training is very big. As a sprinter, I have to go for three physiotherapy sessions per week at Sh2,500 per session as well as gym work three times a week at Sh500 per session,” explained Omanyala.
He added that he has to pay for stadium access from Monday to Saturday at Sh200 per session.
“If you add a good diet, you will find that I am spending at least Sh30,000 a week, a huge amount if I have to train from September to September," said Omanyala.
However, he observed that the Nock scholarships will help ease this mental anguish, adding that this should be advanced to the other talented yet not-so-well-to-do sportsmen and women.
“I am urging the governments to reduce the prices or even make entry to the various facilities free. Let people come and train for free alongside the big stars,” he said.
The African 100m champion was among the seven beneficiaries of the Nock sponsorships alongside Commonwealth Games 5,000m champion Beatrice Chebet, Commonwealth Games 5,000m silver medalist Nicholas Kimeli, Commonwealth Games 5,000m bronze medalist Jacob Krop and Africa Games 5,00om champion Margaret Chelimo.
Omanyala said the sponsorship will come in handy as he prepares for next year's World Championships and the 2024 Olympic Games.
“This is a perfect gift for us as we head for the Olympic Games. My target is to win the 100m title at the Olympic Games and this support comes in handy,” he said.
NOC-K secretary general Francis Mutuku said the seven athletes will get Sh100,000 per month.
“The first disbursement has already been done for the next three months and they will be getting such amounts from today all the way to July 2024, a month to the Olympic Games. As long as they are on the path to the Olympics, their money will be there,” said Mutuku.
“We have also brought in financial experts to help these athletes on how to spend their money. They must give us a report every month on the expenditure. Preparation is very important. I know some of us expect medals and good performance but the journey starts with training well."
