The upcoming Agnes Tirop Memorial World Cross Country Tour will be an opportunity for Kenya to pass a strong message that the country highly values its athletes.
Sports Cabinet Secretary, Amina Mohamed, said naming the February 12 event after the 2015 World Cross Country champion was a no-brainer considering her exploits for Kenya on the world stage.
"This Tour is about remembering Agnes' tenacity and her patriotism. That is why we have to celebrate her achievements on and off the track. This Tour will pass a strong message that we are not about to let Agnes' memory go to waste," Amina said.
Tirop, who became the second-youngest athlete to win a world cross country title in Guiyang, China, was found murdered at her Iten home in October last year for which her estranged husband has been charged in court.
The CS further said it is an honour for Kenya to host the event, to be held in Kapseret, Eldoret, considering the country is a powerhouse in cross country and athletics in general.
"This Tour is in recognition of our status as an athletics powerhouse. World Athletics have always been supportive of our country and we have been able to host major athletics events, such as Kip Keino Classic and the World Under 20," Amina said.
She added: "I am also grateful to the partners and sponsors for working with us when hosting these events. We will continue to do what we can to ensure the Cross Country Tour is successful. I was delighted when I came here to launch this Tour and found the governor (Jackson Mandago) in attendance. It shows his commitment towards the growth of sports."
Amina was speaking on Tuesday afternoon at Lobo Hotel, Eldoret, where she oversaw the media launch of the World Cross Country Tour.
Speaking at the same event, Athletics Kenya President Jack Tuwei asked Kenyans to come and enjoy the one-day competition and cheer on their countrymen and women to victory.
"We have noticed that when our athletes go out for competition, they are put under a lot of pressure. Losing is like you have killed someone. Let us encourage them and not put them under pressure," Tuwei said.
Similarly, AK's director of youth development Barnaba Korir announced they expect a number of top athletes, including world 5k record holder, Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey, and former world half-marathon record holder Geoffrey Kamworor.
"The invitational event will give athletes the opportunity to accumulate points that will count towards their earnings from the lucrative prize money. We wish our athletes well as they prepare for this event and others that will follow throughout the season," Korir said.
Before then, the National Cross Country Championship will be held at the same venue on January 22, which will also be a dry run for the Tour. The list of top 10 athletes to represent Kenya in the event will be unveiled on the same day.
