Sports

Waithaka’s dad Mburu tips him for greatness

Thursday, July 21st, 2022 00:56 | By
Father of World 10,000m silver medallist Stanley Waithaka (left), David Mburu, mother Emily Mweru and his elder brother Wilson Ndung’u at their home in Kasuku, Nyandarua County yesterday.INSET. Waithaka in action on Sunday. PHOTO/David Macharia

David Mburu, the father to newly crowned  World 10,000m silver medallist Stanley Waithaka believes his son is fulfilling his dream of being a top athlete.

Speaking in Kasuku area of Nyandarua County, Mburu said he was an athlete during his school days specialising in the same races his son is good at but did not go beyond school level.

 “I believe my dream of becoming a top athlete is being fulfilled through my son,” he said.

 The athlete’s mother, Emily Mweru chips in saying, “He tells Waithaka he managed to shake hand with Mzee Jomo Kenyatta because of athletics and he should work hard to go far now that the sport has enabled him to shake hand with President Uhuru Kenyatta.”

Nervous moment

 Mburu laughed heartedly when he recalled the nervous moment the family went through as the World Championship 10,000m final race was in progress.

“His mother buried her face in the hands when she saw him fall and she did not open her eyes until she heard screams as the boy put a spirited battle with the Ugandans,” he said.

“We broke into praise song and dance when he finished second. If the race had a few more metres to go, my son could have beaten the Ugandan (Joshua Cheptegei) who took gold,” Mburu said.

Mweru said the family has been receiving congratulatory phone calls from family and friends since Waithaka won the medal.

 Waithaka’s eldest brother Wilson Ndung’u echoed the family’s nervous moment during the 25 laps of the event, the longest race on track during the Championship.

“I believe my brother will go far in the sport because of his fighting spirit and all-around discipline,” Ndung’u who sat next to his parents and Waithaka’s coach Francis Kamau said.

Meanwhile, Coach Jacob Lang’at of Nyahururu Athletics Club said Waithaka’s performance revives the memory of Nyahururu as a producer of top athletes capable of breaking records.

 “Nyahururu is home to some of the world’s longest surviving records; that of Daniel Komen in 3000m and Noah Ng’eny in 1000m,” the coach said.

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