President awards national paralympics team

President Mwai Kibaki on Saturday awarded members of the Paralympics team and commended them for their outstanding performance at the Beijing Paralympics Games.

Gold medallists were awarded Sh2 million for each gold medal won while those with silver and bronze medals got Sh1.23 million and Sh655,000 per medal respectively.

The team won nine medals emerging 27^th out of the 147 participating countries and third in Africa.

Speaking during the team’s award presentation and flag-returning ceremony at State House Nairobi, President Kibaki assured the team of the Government’s continued support.

“Six weeks ago, I presented to you our national flag. With that, you carried our national hopes and aspirations in the just concluded games.  While you were there, we keenly followed your progress and saw you win nine medals.  This is again one of Kenya’s best performances,” said President Kibaki. 

He lauded the team for setting new world records, adding that their performance was remarkable since they excelled despite participating in a few disciplines.

The President said in future the team should participate in more events like cycling, swimming and wheelchair basketball.

“I would like to see more Kenyan athletes participate in both local and international championships,” he said.

Sports minister Helen Sambili, who also attended the function,  said universities and tertiary institutions should develop tailor-made courses that enable excelling young athletes to exploit their talents.

Prof Sambili said the Sports ministry had started early preparations for the 2012 London Olympic Games, to ensure that the final team was ready for the challenges ahead of them.

According to the President, there is need for continued investment in the improvement and expansion of the country’s sports infrastructure.

He said the Government will improve the Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret by providing Sh100 million through the supplementary budget this financial year.

In response to a request by the Kenya Paralympics Committee Chairman Douglas Sidialo for Government assistance to establish a Paralympics secretariat, the President said a Sports Officer would be seconded to the organization.

“I have no doubt that these investments will lead to more Kenyan teams qualifying for international tournaments,” President Kibaki said. 

During the occasion, Safaricom donated Sh5.5 million, Equity Sh1.6 million while Nakumatt contributed Sh1 million in support of the national paralympics team.