Kenya: KCB Hosts Dinner for World-Conquering Cross Country Team

Nairobi Star (Nairobi)

Brenda Okoth

29 March 2011

Gone are the days when families would sit around the TV cheering Kenyan athletes as they run for gold in the Olympics. Instead people have different ways of cheering like posting up congratulatory messages on social sites and newspapers or treating them to a lavish dinner like KCB recently did.

After their successful run at the just ended IAAF World Cross Country Championships, on arrival from Spain, the indefatigable champions were whisked away to Red Court Hotel for a KCB-sponsored dinner. To celebrate with the athletes were Sports permanent secretary James Waweru, Sports commissioner Gordon Oluoch , Athletics Kenya vice chairman Lt Gen Jack Tuwei and Secretary general David Okeyo.

Speaker after speaker at the dinner saluted the team for their exploits in winning the overall team title for the 24th time and winning three individual titles despite tough opposition from Ethiopia. Cash awards were forked out to the winners.

Faith Chepng’etich, winner in the junior women’s six-kilometre race, Geoffrey Kipsang in the junior men eight-kilometre race and Vivian Cheruiyot, winner in the senior women’s race, each pocketed Sh300,000 for winning the individual titles.Sports minister Paul Otuoma saluted the team for its exploits.

AllAfrica – All the Time