Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Daily Nation
Published on 2024-01-25 15:49:43
The KCB Foundation student-athlete scholarship program was launched in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, benefitting fifty junior athletes from twelve athletics-rich counties.
The foundation targeted students from humble backgrounds who scored 260 marks and above in their 2023 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations.
These athletes also had to undergo a time trials competition held at the Ndura Sports Complex in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County, where each student was required to attain specific times in their respective events.
The students who excelled in the time trials were then placed in different schools in the North Rift region, known for nurturing and producing top athletes.
Transcend Talent Academy, based in Cherang’any, Trans Nzoia County, founded by former Boston Marathon champion Wesley Korir, took the lion’s share of the beneficiaries, with 25 students lined up to join the school.
Various influential athletes and coaches, including Eliud Kipchoge, Faith Kipyegon, David Rudisha, and Ezekiel Kemboi, were present at the commissioning ceremony, offering words of encouragement and support to the young athletes.
The Managing Director of Kenya Commercial Bank, Anastacia Kimtai, affirmed the foundation’s commitment to supporting the students, ensuring they can excel both in school and in their athletic pursuits.
The scholarship program has also partnered with schools such as St. Francis Kimuron, St. Patrick’s Iten, and Sing’ore Girls, which will be taking in some of the student athletes and providing for their academic needs and training.
Additionally, Iten-based Athletics management company, KipRun, will take care of the athletes’ training gears.
The program has been lauded by the Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba for the support it provides to young athletes, and it has been recognized as a seed of hope for the future.
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