Kenyan athletes keep themselves busy in farms as virus bites
World 3000 metres steeplechase record holder Beatrice Chepkoech plucking tea leaves at her family farm in Besiobei Village, Konoin, Bomet County on April 29, 2020. She has been training individually following the Kenyan government’s directive on social distancing in a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus. PHOTO | DENNIS LUBANGA |
What you need to know:
- Runners hold individual training sessions in view of coronavirus
Coronavirus pandemic has shook the sports world globally, causing a stoppage of all sports competitions and tournaments.
From March 13 when Kenya reported her first confirmed case of coronavirus, Kenyan sports has suffered, and local athletics has not been spared either.
World 3000 metres steeplechase record holder Beatrice Chepkoech (right) and her father, Elijah Sitonik, pluck tea leaves at their farm in Besiobei Village, Konoin, Bomet County on April 29, 2020. PHOTO | DENNIS LUBANGA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
In March, athletes who have been training in various camps across the country in readiness for the season were forced to go back home and engage on other things following a ban on all sports activities and social gatherings by the government in an effort to contain the spread of coronavirus.
The government also put in place guidelines on social distancing. Many of the athletes are now venturing into farming, which promises good earnings after missing the entire athletics season.
World record holder in 3,000 metres steeplechase Beatrice Chepkoech has been busy helping her parents at home with fetching firewood and picking tea leaves at the family farm.
Chepkoech retreated to her rural home in Besiobei Village in Konoin, Bomet County where she trains alone and also spends the rest of her time helping her parents.
“The entire season is now going to waste and we have been left to just do easy training as one way of keeping fit. But as an athlete, I also need to be in good form just in case the virus is contained and competitions are open,” said Chepkoech.
World 3000 metres steeplechase record holder Beatrice Chepkoech (second right) adjusts her face mask in their tea farm in Besiobei Village, Konoin, Bomet County on April 29, 2020. PHOTO | DENNIS LUBANGA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
She is now focusing on next season as she seeks to break the world record in the distance, and to win a gold medal in 2020 Olympic Games which have been postponed to next year.
Japan-based Rodgers Kwemoi is now concentrating on maize farming in Furfural village in Matunda, Uasin Gishu County after failing to travel back to Japan.
The 2016 World Under-20 champion in 10,000m has been working and at the same time training in Japan but he couldn’t go back due to the virus where he is signed up by Asian Corporate team in Japan. He told Nation Sport that he is now concentrating on maize farming as he waits for things to come back to normal.
“I’m now busy spraying pesticides on maize in my farm. As athletes we depend on running and we feel wasted because the whole season has now gone to waste,” said Kwemoi.
World 3000 metres steeplechase record holder Beatrice Chepkoech (second right) and her family members plucking tea leaves at their farm in Besiobei Village, Konoin, Bomet County on April 29, 2020. She has been training individually following government’s directive on social distancing in a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus. PHOTO | DENNIS LUBANGA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
He is keen to represent Kenya at the Olympics after coming in fourth place at the Doha World Championships last year.
World Under-20 10,000m champion Rhonex Kipruto is also busy planting trees in Kimamet village in Kamwosor, Elgeyo Marakwet County.
