Athletics

End gender-based violence, stars plead as they bid Kenya’s Tirop farewell

Published

3 years ago

October 23, 2021

Athletes, coaches and members of the public during a procession from Eldoret Hospital Mortuary in Eldoret town, Uasin Gishu County escorting the body of the late Agnes Tirop to Kapnyamisa Primary School in Nandi County for a funeral service on October 22, 2021.

The message was loud and clear: “End gender-based violence.” This was during the requiem mass for the late former world cross country champion Agnes Jebet Tirop at Kapnyemisa Primary School in Nandi County on Friday.

Tirop, who was found dead in her home in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County, last week, will be buried today at her parent’s home in Kapnyamisa Village, Mosoriot, Nandi County.

Her partner, Ibrahim Rotich, is the main suspect in the murder of the two-time World Championships 10,000 metres bronze medallist.

In her honour, fellow athletes have agreed to launch the Agnes Tirop Foundation which will help school children and upcoming athletes.

Athletes coach Nahashon Kibon, one of the coaches who nurtured the late Agnes Tirop in her formative years, is overcome by emotions during her funeral service at Kapnyemisa Primary School in Kapnyemisa village, Nandi County on October 22, 2021.

The foundation will raise funds to support all the school going that Tirop supported, alongside her personal pace makers whom she was also supporting.

Tirop used to pay school fees for student in Chepalungu Boys High School, Kapkole Girls High School, Asururiet SDA Primary School, Ngechek High School and St Elizabeth Chepkunyuk High School.

According to 1,500m specialist Viola Lagat, who has since moved up to the 10,000m and road races, it was so painful to lose such a young athlete through gender violence.

“I have lost a sister and it’s been tough thinking of the brutality in the name of a lover she went through. Is this the way we are going to be treated by the community as women and lose our lives in such a way?” she posed.

Lagat asked men during the mass to swear that they would not mistreat, or even murder, women in their lives, saying Tirop’s death should be the end of the gender-based violence.

“She was my friend and a woman I looked up to and she had worked so hard for that record because she ran a race of her life,” said Lagat in reference to Tirop’s 10km road race world record which she broke last month in Germany.

“We shouldn’t be celebrating her death here today, but her success. “This is an athlete we wanted to see in the next 10 years competing, but we are here today weeping because someone killed her,” she added.

Victor Koilel, Tirop’s pacemaker eulogized her as one athlete who wanted to always help those who are in need, saying her loss is a big blow to his personal career.

“She was always happy and we could interact well and something that touched me is that she took me in despite our different backgrounds.

“I have lost a sister and it will be tough for us because she used to pay all the bills for us,” said Koilel.

National athletics head coach Julius Kirwa said coaches will be investigated to prove that they are competent and honest enough to handle athletes, adding that there are many pretenders who were oppressing the athletes.

“I was in Tokyo for the Olympic Games and I was handling Tirop and her death has shocked us. We are warning coaches and fake husbands who are just waiting for an athlete who earns her money to come and boast by buying big vehicles yet they don’t know where the money came from,” warned Kirwa.

Former 800m champion Janeth Jepkosgei warned of lawyers registering athletes’ assets in the name of their (athletes’) spouses without their consent.

Two-time Boston Marathon champion Moses Tanui said that it’s a high time retired athletes united to help the upcoming athletes by way of advice.

-Nation, Kenya

Athletics

Record 6000 runners register for 2nd Lotus Bank Abeokuta 10km Run

Published

3 days ago

September 17, 2024

Kunle Solaja

A record 6,000 runners, local and international from across the African continent and Nigeria have registered for the second edition of the Lotus Bank Abeokuta 10km Run slated for September 28, 2024, as the organisers, Nilayo Sports Management Limited guns for a bronze label status for the race.

The Chief Operating Officer of Nilayo Sports Management Limited, Ebidowie Oweifie, noted that the theme of this year’s edition of the Abeokuta 10km Race titled ‘For Greatness’ out is out to commemorate the birthday anniversary of the Egba paramount ruler, the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo 111, the 10km Run will flag off at Iyana Oloke at 6am and finish at The Alake Palace, Abeokuta.

Kenya’s Peter Nwaniki is the men’s race defending champion at a time of 28 minutes 14 seconds, while Shamila Kipsirir also of Kenya is the women’s defending champion.

Nigeria’s race men’s defending champion is Francis James at 31minutes 08seconds, while the women’s defending champion is Patience Daylop at 36 minutes 31 seconds.

The second edition of Abeokuta10km Race will be sponsored by Lotus Bank, FEBBS Premium Water, Fatgbems Petroleum Limited and Cash Token.

Athletics

Behold, CAS statement on Tobi Amusan

Published

3 months ago

June 29, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan is the winner as the Court of Arbitration for Sports, CAS has rejected the appeals filed by World Athletics and WADA.

The decision confirms the decision taken by the World Athletics disciplinary tribunal finding that Tobi Amusan did not commit any anti-doping rule violation.

Here is the full statement of CAS.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed the appeals filed by

World Athletics (WA) and by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) against the decision issued on 17 August 2023 (the Challenged Decision) by the World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal (WADT) in relation to the hurdler Oluwatobiloba (Tobi) Amusan (Nigeria).

Accordingly, the Challenged Decision in which the WADT considered that Tobi Amusan did not violate Rule 2.4 of the WA Anti-Doping Rules (WA ADR) and that no period of ineligibility should be imposed on the Athlete is confirmed.

The Athlete was initially charged with committing an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) under Rule 2.4 WA ADR following three alleged Whereabouts Failures within a 12-month period.

In their respective appeal to CAS, WA and WADA had sought the imposition of a two-year period of ineligibility. The CAS Panel held a hearing on 19 January 2024. Having deliberated, the CAS Panel has issued its decision today dismissing both appeals. The CAS Panel unanimously acknowledged that the Athlete committed two filing failures but did not confirm the existence of a missed test, alleged by WA and WADA, which would have been the third Whereabouts Failure committed within a 12-month

period. Accordingly, the CAS Panel concluded that the Athlete did not commit an ADRV and that the Challenged Decision should be confirmed.

The reasoned award will be published by CAS unless the parties request confidentiality.

Athletics

Tobi Amusan floors WADA and World Athletics!

Published

3 months ago

June 29, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Nigeria’s Paris 2024 medal hopeful, Tobi Amusan has been cleared as the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) has dismissed the appeal filed by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the World Athletics.

She is therefore cleared to feature at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Amusan is the 100m hurdles world record holder.

The athlete was charged in July last year with missing three anti-doping tests in 12 months but was cleared of the offence by the Disciplinary Tribunal of the sport’s governing body, World Athletics.

The Integrity Unit of the World Athletics appealed the clearance which has now been dismissed by CAS, the final arbiter in the case.

CAS in its statement remarked that its panel “unanimously acknowledged that the athlete committed two filing failures but did not confirm the existence of a missed test, alleged by WA and WADA, which would have been the third Whereabouts Failure committed within 12 months.”

Amusan set the world record of 12.12 seconds in the world championships in Eugene, Oregon, in July 2022 and went on to win the title.

She finished sixth in the world championships in Budapest last year.

World Athletics’ anti-doping rules say any athlete failing to declare their whereabouts for a doping test on three occasions over 12 months is ineligible to compete for two years.