Athletics
End gender-based violence, stars plead as they bid Kenya’s Tirop farewell
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.
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
The London Marathon broke the record for the highest number of finishers in a marathon, with 59,830 participants completing the course to surpass the mark of 59,226 at last year’s New York City event.
Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe shattered the world record to become the first man to run the marathon in under two hours, followed by Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha, who also breached the two-hour barrier on Sunday.
“To then break the record of the largest number of finishers in the history of marathons underlines the inspirational nature of the London Marathon. We are incredibly proud to have set a new Guinness World Record,” said Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events.
In the women’s race, three women ran under two hours and 16 minutes in a single race for the first time ever, as Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa defended her title by shattering her own women ‘s-only world record
-Reuters
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Nigeria has aligned with the global athletics community in supporting World Athletics’ decision to reject 11 applications for nationality transfer to Türkiye, a move that includes sprinter Favour Ofili and signals a broader clampdown on the recruitment of foreign athletes.
Diamond League – Final – Zurich – Zurich, Switzerland – August 27, 2025 Jamaica’s Rajindra Campbell in action during the men’s shot put final REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
The ruling, announced on Thursday by World Athletics’ Nationality Review Panel, affects athletes from multiple countries and was based on findings that the applications were part of a coordinated, government-backed effort to bolster Türkiye’s international competitiveness ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Rather than a single case, Ofili’s situation forms part of a wider group that includes five Kenyan athletes — among them former marathon world record holder Brigid Kosgei — and four Jamaicans, including Olympic medallists Roje Stona and Rajindra Campbell. Russian heptathlete Sophia Yakushina was also among those denied eligibility.
Paris 2024 Olympics – Athletics – Men’s Discus Throw Victory Ceremony – Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France – August 08, 2024. Gold medallist Roje Stona of Jamaica celebrates on the podium. REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigie
London Marathon 2024 – Women’s Elite Press Conference – London, Britain – April 18, 2024 Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei poses for a photograph ahead of the London Marathon REUTERS/Peter Cziborra/File Photo
World Athletics stated that approving the applications would undermine key principles guiding the transfer of allegiance, particularly the need to maintain the integrity and credibility of national representation in global competitions.
“The panel found that the applications formed part of a coordinated recruitment strategy… to attract overseas athletes through lucrative contracts,” the governing body said.
For Nigeria, the decision is being viewed not as an isolated intervention but as part of a wider effort to protect countries that invest in developing athletes from grassroots to elite level, only to risk losing them to wealthier nations offering financial incentives.
Officials note that the rejection highlights growing concerns about the commercialisation of national allegiance in sport, where athletes are increasingly targeted through structured programmes designed to fast-track international success.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe has previously warned against such trends, stressing that nationality transfers must reflect genuine national ties rather than transactional arrangements.
The regulations governing athlete transfers were tightened in 2019 to prevent abuse and ensure fairness, following increasing cases of athletes switching allegiance under financially driven circumstances.
Although the applications were rejected, World Athletics clarified that the affected athletes — including Ofili — remain eligible to compete in one-day meetings, road races and club competitions, as well as live and train in Türkiye. However, they are barred from representing the country at major championships such as the Olympic Games and World Championships.
The decision is widely seen as a significant moment for global athletics, reinforcing the principle that national representation should be built on identity and development rather than financial inducement.
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A former president of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Chief Solomon Ogba, has commended World Athletics for rejecting the application by Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili to switch allegiance to Türkiye.
World Athletics, through its Nationality Review Panel, on Thursday turned down Ofili’s request to represent the European nation, citing concerns over the integrity of international competitions and the growing trend of athlete recruitment driven by financial incentives.
Reacting to the decision, Ogba described the ruling as a victory for fairness and a strong message in defence of developing nations that invest heavily in nurturing athletic talent.
“This is justice not just for Nigeria but for many developing countries that work tirelessly to groom athletes, only for them to be lured away by wealthier nations,” Ogba said.
The panel, in its report, noted that granting the transfer would undermine key principles, including safeguarding the credibility of national representation and discouraging the systematic recruitment of foreign athletes for global competitions.
Ofili’s case was one of 11 applications submitted by the Turkish Athletics Federation, which World Athletics linked to a broader government-backed strategy to strengthen its team ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Despite having obtained Turkish citizenship and signing a lucrative club contract, Ofili remains ineligible to compete for Türkiye in major competitions such as the World Championships and the Olympic Games.
Ogba singled out World Athletics President Sebastian Coe for praise, describing him as a consistent ally of developing countries.
“How can a country nurture an athlete from grassroots level to elite status, only for another nation that showed no prior interest to come with financial inducements and take them away? It is unfair and must be discouraged,” he said.
The former AFN boss also advised athletes to remain focused and avoid making career decisions driven solely by short-term financial gains. He cited global stars such as Usain Bolt, Julien Alfred, and Eliud Kipchoge, who achieved success while representing their home countries.
Ogba further warned athletes against external pressures from managers and associates, urging them to consider the long-term implications of switching nationality.
“Many athletes who left Nigeria often return after retirement seeking support. The reality is that your home country offers opportunities beyond competition — as coaches, administrators, and mentors,” he added.
He concluded by urging Nigerian athletes to remain loyal and committed, stressing that while opportunities abroad may appear attractive, long-term security and identity remain tied to their country of origin.
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