Sports fraternity mourns Ng'etich
What you need to know:
- Tributes continue to pour in following the death of Kenya Secondary School Sports Association chairman Kimutai Ng’etich on Wednesday morning.
- Ng’etich died on the spot after a matatu he was travelling in from Molo to Kericho rammed into a trailer at the Londiani junction. His last engagement was in Gulu, Uganda last week, where he led Kenya in defending their East Africa Secondary Schools Games title with a total of 28 medals.
- Ngetich, was the commissar for the handball competition during the annual championship that saw 3,500 students from seven countries do battle for honours.
Tributes continue to pour in following the death of Kenya Secondary School Sports Association chairman Kimutai Ng’etich on Wednesday morning.
Ng’etich died on the spot after a matatu he was travelling in from Molo to Kericho rammed into a trailer at the Londiani junction. His last engagement was in Gulu, Uganda last week, where he led Kenya in defending their East Africa Secondary Schools Games title with a total of 28 medals.
Ngetich, was the commissar for the handball competition during the annual championship that saw 3,500 students from seven countries do battle for honours.
KSSSA Secretary General David Ngugi termed Ngetich’s death as ‘devastating’ for the national body and indeed for sport in the country.
“We were planning to have a party to celebrate our big win in Gulu and a successful year overall for the KSSSA. But then this has happened and it’s very untimely. Ngetich was a great boss; never confrontational but always got the job done. He will sorely be missed,” Ngugi told Nation Sport yesterday.
Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSSA) president Justus Mugisha termed the loss as tragic and a big blow to regional sports.
“He was one man committed to these games and it was always his joy watching the students’ competing fairly. We will miss his great counsel and also humorous nature,” Mugisha said via phone from Kampala yesterday.
He was until his untimely death the Athletics Kenya’s Nakuru County branch chairman the founder member of the Keringet Athletics Club and Training Camp in Kuresoi that has helped nurture, among others, Olympic and world 1,500 metres champion Faith Chepng’etich.
‘Chairman’ as he was fondly referred to by friends, colleagues and also the media, was serving his first term as KSSSA Chairman having been elected into office in 2013. He was the principal at Tinet Kapkoi Secondary School in Kuresoi Constituency.
He was previously Secretary General of the Rift Valley Secondary School Sport Association before he was elected Treasurer and finally winning two terms as chair of the regional body.
“R.I.P Kimutai Ng’etich. He is been at the helm of nurturing Kenyan talents all along. Athletics have lost a great mentor a father figure to our young talents! God comfort his family. Pole sana Athletics family,” Beijing Olympics gold medalist and three-time World 1500m champion Asbel Kiprop mourned.
“Very sad Rest in peace Kimutai,” Rio Olympics 5000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot reacted.
“My sincere heartfelt condolences to his family, relatives, friends, secondary school fraternity, Nakuru AK and athletics in general. RIP,” Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge said.
Burial plans are underway at his home in Keringet.
