Contain the talent drain

Ruth Jebet of Bahrain celebrates winning the women's 3000m steeplechase during day five of the IAAF World Junior Championships at Hayward Field on July 26, 2014 in Eugene, Oregon. PHOTO | JONATHAN FERREY

What you need to know:

  • It is disturbing that we are losing the very best of talent with great potential to make it big in their careers.
  • It is even more disturbing that the authorities do not seem bothered by this massive talent drain to nations that have traditionally benefited from our excellent sporting facilities.

Kenya’s performance at the 15th IAAF World Junior Championships that ended on Monday morning in Oregon have yet again reinforced our reputation as a global athletics superpower.

However, along with the exemplary performance of the youngsters, it is worrying that a good number of our talented teens are continuously ditching their Kenyan passports to take up the nationality of the oil-rich Gulf state of Bahrain.

One of these “defectors”, Ruth Jebet, on Saturday showed Kenya what they will be missing in future by leaving two of her former compatriots trailing in her wake as she dashed to the finish line to clinch the gold medal in the 3,000 metres steeplechase.

While we must appreciate the fact that the world has become a global village where you can take your expertise to the highest bidder, it is, nevertheless disturbing that we are losing the very best of talent with great potential to make it big in their careers.

It is even more disturbing that the authorities do not seem bothered by this massive talent drain to nations that have traditionally benefited from our excellent sporting facilities.

This is an issue we must address by giving our youths no reason to believe the grass is greener on the other side.