How Cheruiyot plans to give back to his community
World 1,500m champion Timothy Cheruiyot has hinted at establishing an athletics training camp at Silibwet in Bomet County.
The track star revealed that he is exploring possibilities of setting up the camp once the Covid-19 pandemic is crushed completely.
Speaking during an interview with a local vernacular radio station at the weekend, Cheruiyot observed that there is a huge untapped athletics talents in the county which needs such a facility.
“I am thinking of establishing a training camp to tap on the huge athletics potential in the county. I hope to do that in the near future,” Cheruiyot said.
The two-time Diamond League Trophy winner said that athletics or sports in general has become a key sector the world over hence the need for such talents to be encouraged to embrace it as their professional careers.
“Sports is a key sector around the globe, so the young ones with talents and anyone interested should be motivated and encouraged to embrace it,” he said and urged budding athletes to train hard wherever they are staying.
Cheruiyot, who won a gold medal in 1,500m during last year’s World Athletics Championships held in Doha, Qatar, urged junior athletes to continue training while staying focused even if they do not perform well in competitions saying they will one day shine.
“There’s no two ways about it. One must train hard, remain focused and one day, you will conquer the world. So avoid short cuts such as doping that would ruin your careers,” he said.
Cheruiyot is currently training individually as he prepares for the Diamond League return in Oslo, Norway on June 11.
Meanwhile, athletics coach Gabriel Kiptanui has lauded the Kericho county administration for giving face-lift to the Kericho Green Stadium.
He commended governor Paul Chepkwony for ensuring that the tartan is put on the track on the stadium with a view to elevating it to meet both national and international status.
“We laud governor Chepkwony for ensuring sports facilities such as the stadium are improved in a bid to take sports to the next level,” said Kiptanui.
He urged both the national and county governments to support athletes during this difficult time as a result of the coronavirus, arguing that their means of livelihoods have been disrupted.
