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Kenya bids farewell to marathon sensation Kiptum

Top athletes and dignitaries joined hundreds of mourners at the funeral on Friday of Kenya’s world marathon record-holder Kelvin Kiptum in the nation’s athletics heartland where he was born, trained and died.

Kiptum, a 24-year-old father of two, was killed in a late-night car crash on February 11, just months after shattering the marathon record in Chicago.

Kiptum’s wife, Asenath Rotich, was overcome with emotion as she read a tearful tribute to the marathon prodigy.

“It’s unbelievable that today I have learnt to stay with our beloved kids without you coming home again,” she said, revealing that the couple had planned to hold a wedding ceremony in April.

“I will still make my vows of love even in your rest.”

Although Kiptum only competed in three marathons, he won all of the races, posting three of the seven fastest times in history for the event.

Coe said his death was “a cause of intense sadness” and eulogised the young athlete for scaling “the highest peaks of achievement” during his short life.

“Rest assured your achievements are treasured, indelible and secure in the annals of our history and never ever forgotten,” the athletics chief said.

‘Worked against odds’

Kiptum ran the Chicago race in October in two hours and 35 seconds, slicing 34 seconds off the previous fastest time set by his Kenyan rival, the marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge.

His sudden death has left Kenya, and the wider athletics community, reeling.

Ruto said the East African nation had seen “the future of athletics” in Kiptum.

“He had more reasons not to succeed than to succeed but he worked against the odds,” he said, describing his death as “a very heavy moment”.

Mourners started arriving at the funeral venue at dawn, some wearing black T-shirts with a picture of Kiptum emblazoned across the front.

They viewed the body, laid out in a half-open casket on a red carpet, as a choir sang hymns.

Four giant screens were mounted to stream the event for the many villagers gathered outside the venue.

Dozens of athletes including 1,500m record-holder Faith Kipyegon and two-time Olympic 800m champion David Rudisha knelt in prayer near Kiptum’s casket before showering it with pink and white rose petals.

Neighbours described the star athlete as a “very generous man”.

“In his short life as an athlete, he’s helped in funding (the) education of some of the children at (his alma mater) the Chepsamo primary school,” neighbour Jackson Komen told AFP.

“He was so down-to-earth that when he had broken the world record he would still join his friends at the Chepkorio centre to play pool,” Komen added.

Candlelight vigil

Hundreds of people had turned out Thursday as Kiptum’s coffin was taken from the Rift Valley town of Eldoret to his home village of Chepkorio.

Hundreds of mourners also joined a solemn candlelight vigil in the nation’s capital Nairobi on Thursday, paying an emotional tribute to the rising star who had been the overwhelming favourite for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

After the funeral ceremony, Kiptum will be laid to rest in Naiberi, near Eldoret, where the government has built a new home for the family of the national hero.

Police said Kiptum was driving near Eldoret at around 11:00 pm on February 11 when his car careered off the road into a ditch and hit a tree.

Kenya’s chief government pathologist, Johansen Oduor, said on Wednesday an autopsy found Kiptum had suffered severe head injuries.

Toxicology tests were still under way, he added.

Kiptum’s Rwandan coach Gervais Hakizimana, 36, also died in the crash.

Hakizimana, who had trained Kiptum since 2019, was laid to rest in the Rwandan capital Kigali on Wednesday.

Known for maintaining a gruelling training schedule that sometimes topped 300 kilometres (190 miles) a week, Kiptum had recently announced he was hoping to smash the mythic two-hour mark at the Rotterdam Marathon in April.

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Newstap/SWAN Five Star Sports Award Excites Ebi Egbe

Chief Executive Officer of Monimichelle Sports Facilities Construction Ltd, Ebi Egbe says he’s highly honoured to be nominated as one of the receipients of the forthcoming maiden Newstap SWAN Five Star Sports Award

He stated this when he received his letter of nomination from the Editor of Newstap Communications and South West Secretary General of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria.

According to him, the recognition is an indication that Nigerians value what his company is doing noting that they’ll never compromise standards but will be moving with technological innovations.

“It’s always nice to be recognized. At Monimichelle Limited, we’ve been doing our best to make sure we bring in the best for sporting infrastructure not just in Nigeria, but the entire African continent. So I’m excited to be receiving this award from Newstap Communications and SWAN

” I also want to say that what this award shows is that the world is following our good track record. And this have really propelled us to continue doing what we’re doing. So I want to appreciate the organisers of this award for finding me worthy to be honoured.
He also assured Nigerians that his company will continue to provide the best services which is in tune with the latest technology.

“At Monimichelle, we don’t like to sit at the back seat. Even though we are an African company servicing African market, we’re following technology as it’s revolving in the world because technology changes everyday in the sports industry and we always make sure we give our clients the best of services and will continue to do so”, he concluded.

CEO of Monimichelle Group Ebi Egbe (middle) flanked by Editor of Newstap, Ifeanyi Eduzor (right) and Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN official Charles Ogundiya when Egbe received his letter as one of the recipients of the Newstap/ SWAN Five-Star award billed for March 7 in Lagos.

Other reciepients of the Five Star Sports Award includes, the Executive Governor of Benue State, His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, GTI Assets Management and Trust Limited, a company that has turned around the nation’s premier league, the NPFL, President of Remo Stars, Kunle Soname and Chairman of Benue State Football Association who is also the only founder of two women clubs in Nigeria – Naija Ratels and Benue Queens, Barrister Paul Edeh.

The event comes up on Friday, March 7, 2025 at the Bamboo Hall of the prestigious Eko Club, off Bode Thomas Street Surulere, Lagos.

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Karim Benzema Hints Return To Real Madrid

Real Madrid legend Karim Benzema has hinted at a desire to return to the club once he has brought down the curtain on an illustrious playing career.

Benzema is second on Madrid’s list of all-time goal-scorers, ahead of icons Raul and Alfredo Di Stefano, having netted 354 times across 14 years. He is also fifth on the club’s all-time appearance list, playing 648 games between 2009 and 2023.

Madrid have welcomed former players back in a variety of off-field roles in the past, with 1980s stars Jorge Valdano and Emilio Butragueno among those to have had prominent executive positions. Raul has been in charge of Real Madrid Castilla since 2019, with Alvaro Arbeloa currently a youth coach. Santiago Solari had spells in charge of various sides up to first-team level, with Zinedine Zidane famously serving as an adviser before two spells as head coach.

Benzema admitted in a Mega interview that he doesn’t know if coaching is the path he wants to take, only that he wants to be “close” to president Florentino Perez.

“The other day, I was with Florentino in Madrid. When he signed me [in 2009], I told my father that as long as he was at Real Madrid, I would be there,” the Frenchman explained.

“He was the first person I called when I decided I was leaving. He didn’t quite understand…I told him that the youngsters, Vinicius and Rodrygo, were ready. When I retire, I want to be close to football. Coach? I don’t know, it seems more complicated than being a player. I want to be close to Florentino.”

Benzema, now 37, is currently in his second season with Saudi Pro League giants Al Ittihad.

“I feel good here,” he said. “My life is like in Madrid. I get up, train at home in the gym and in the afternoon I train with the team. In the evening, I sometimes go out to dinner or to the beach. Here you can’t walk down the street either, people are crazy about football.”

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Fulham Condemn Manchester United Fans Racist Abuse on Calvin Bassey

Fulham have condemned the “abhorrent” racist and homophobic online abuse directed at Nigerian defender Calvin Bassey following Sunday’s FA Cup penalty shootout win at Manchester United.

Nigeria defender Bassey, who scored the opening goal at Old Trafford, shared some examples of the unsavoury abuse he had received on social media.

“We strongly condemn this abhorrent behaviour, which has no place in football or society,” Fulham said in a statement.

“Such actions are entirely unacceptable, and we stand in full support of Calvin Bassey, who will continue to receive our full backing.

“We will do everything in our power to work with the relevant authorities in identifying the perpetrators of these vile messages and taking the strongest form of action against them.”

Bassey’s online abuse follows recent cases involving Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure, England defender Kyle Walker, Newcastle United’s Joe Willock and Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw.

In a recent interview with BBC Sport, Samuel Okafor, chief executive of anti-discrimination body Kick It Out (KIO), said the level of abuse in English football had “reached crisis point”.

Bassey’s goal was cancelled out in the second half by Bruno Fernandes, with the game staying level at 1-1 at the end of 90 minutes and extra time.

Victor Lindelof and Joshua Zirkzee missed for United in the shootout to send the Cottagers into the quarter-finals, where they will host Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage.

BBC